High Wire
by BridgerSkywalker
Summary: Fifteen years ago, the deadly virus broke out that turned man into monster. Now, Kanan and his team are working for the Alliance in the fight against the Corpses, and the military control of the Empire. That is, until Kanan's focus is shifted one day when Fulcrum requests a very important boy be brought directly to the Alliance for the sake of their cause.
1. Hope

**AN:** So, this story came to me when I thought of the _Last of Us_ the other day. It's loosely based off that game, so there will be several similarities, but overall the story will be one of its own and the plot will be quite different. I just borrowed some scenes. Anyway, hope you enjoy, and please review!

Chapter One

" _Hope"_

" _Reports of an unknown virus have risen in Florida. Those infected experience symptoms including: lethargy, fever, bloodshot eyes, compulsive behavior, aggressiveness…"_

" _The following states have been put under states of emergencies: Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi…"_

" _This is Hailey Burns with CNN News; we're getting unconfirmed death tallies reaching the thousands…"_

" _Hospitals are running low on staff…"_

" _I just…This is the end. This is the end of the world, isn't it?"_

" _Isn't it?"_

* * *

Being a scout for the Alliance wasn't everything kids made it out to be.

It was kind of painful really, to see kids look up to them, the ones who lived safe and away from the corpses that had been reanimated and thirsted for human flesh. The kids that wanted so desperately to escape the walls that confined them inside of the Alliance. The waters of the city that had once been San Francisco no longer held the same miracle as they did fifteen years ago.

 _That_ was depressing.

But, being looked up to was even more. Their job as scouts, going out and stealing from the Empire that had established itself after the whole infection ordeal…It was chaotic. The Empire was a tyranny, but it was an establishment and it had several cities spread across the country. Protected cities. But, more like prisons.

The Alliance had San Francisco…Their little cut off land where they sent out what few soldiers they had to fight against the Empire…To free people who were being forced to be laborers. People who were being beaten and starved and rationed against.

People who didn't deserve the treatment.

But, then again, the scouts didn't deserve to be sent, however they volunteered, so it was the end of the story.

So many died everyday…Because of the corpses. Because of the Empire. Because of low-life scrappers who were no better than pirates. The Alliance had many adversaries, and not many allies.

Why did he stay with them then?

Because it was the right thing to do, and he was damn good at his job.

Kanan jumped down from the top of the Mac he had stopped. His hands ached and his eyes burned from the gunpowder still sifting through the air, his clothes slightly splattered with the blood of the driver who was, mind you, an Imperial. An Imperial who was transferring weapons to one of the Empire's most extravagant bases.

Weapons that the Alliance needed.

He groaned slightly, wiping the crimson onto his pants from his hands, putting his gun into the holster attached to his thigh. His hair was blown in all sorts of directions, been on top of the Mac while it was in full motion. He had stowed away of course. The slightest deception, but effective nonetheless.

Reaching into his belt, he pulled out his walkie-talkie before speaking, "Spectre One to Ghost. The truck is stopped a few miles ahead of you. Driver is taken care of and cargo is ready to be moved."

"Got it," A woman's voice crackled on the other end. "See you in three."

Kanan leaned against the door of the truck, shutting his eyes a moment. The back road was completely empty and void of any life. The trees that surrounded him were bright in the midday sun and he felt as if his nose was already beginning to fry. He would have to ask Hera if they had anymore sunblock, though that was probably the least of his worries.

Sunburns. What a mundane thing. A thing from before.

Kanan waited patiently for the rest of his team, staring off into space and just listening to the world. It no longer sounded bustling, but now held a feeling of complete and utter silence. Just the wind and the trees bustling. Birds squawking in the distance, being the annoying pains they were.

Human life had done a complete three-sixty. And now there was only the quiet.

The sound of the Ghost's motor was unmistakable though when he heard it off in the distance and could see its outline down the road, blurred in the lines of the noon sun. The Ghost wasn't exactly inconspicuous. It was a large RV with grates around the windows, protecting it from Corpse attacks. Almost all vehicles had such upgrades now though, so it didn't set them off as scouts for the Alliance or illegal smugglers for that matter. They just looked like good ol' traders, moving about the country and abiding by the laws of the Empire.

The RV stopped several feet away and the door swung open to show a woman, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her clothes were stained with oil and other vehicular fluids, along with her hands holding a permanent stain to the skin without lava soap to wash it away. Hera Syndulla. Probably one of the most beautiful women on the planet. _The_ most beautiful actually, not doubt about it.

He loved the woman, though it was hardly spoken from him. Because the things he loved were often snatched away like the stars in the morning, and he didn't want to live through that with Hera. He didn't think he could.

She was smiling as she approached him, followed by a tall male and a shorter female. Zeb had been a pick up a few years back, nothing fancy. But, he had joined the Alliance and Fulcrum suggested he would be beneficial to the crew. After his entire family had been massacred by the Empire for their "unlawful" smuggling of people from the Empire territories to that of the Alliance, he had become a permanent resident of the once was San Francisco.

And now he was a permanent resident of the Ghost.

Sabine Wren on the other hand…Well, the girl was a mystery. She was a nice shot, had amazing skills with dialect and was well educated in about any field. Along with her artistry skills…Still, Kanan didn't ask and she didn't tell. It was prying, and she had only been a part of the crew for a little over a year. Even that wasn't long enough to spill all of your secrets.

Once Hera was standing before him, she said happily, "So, it went down easy then?"

"Easy enough," Kanan shrugged. "I stowed away and he didn't notice me until I was coming in the sunroof. By then it was too late for him."

Hera looked relieved. She always did…No matter how many missions they managed to accomplish, she still worried too much. But, Kanan couldn't say he was any different when it came to her going on missions alone.

"Well," Zeb's gruff voice said as he approached the vehicle with Sabine close behind. "Let's get these bad boys out of here before Imperials notice their Mac is late with their supplies."

Both he and Sabine reached up, grabbing either side of the giant doors before yanking it open…However, what they saw inside was not what they were expecting…

Charges…Counting down from six.

Sabine's eyes widened, noticing them first before turning and beginning to drag Zeb away from the door, screaming, "Move!"

Kanan grabbed Hera's shoulders, pushing her into the ditch on the side of the road. She grunted when she hit and he threw himself over her. They only had a split second before the explosive sound bounced through their ears, and Kanan found for a moment he could hear nothing but ringing. When his hearing did return, all he could hear was the roaring of fire and the sound of debris hitting the ground around them.

Kanan poked his head up from the ditch, seeing both Zeb and Sabine doing the same on the other side of the road. Sabine was rubbing her own ear and Kanan shouted, trying to hear himself speak, "You two ok!?"

"Think so!" Zeb called back. Kanan sighed with relief, looking down at Hera who had rolled onto her back to look at her elbow that was bleeding, apparently from the push into the ditch.

"Shit," Kanan said, taking her injured arm as he loomed over her. "I'm sorry."

Hera smiled a bit and shrugged, "I've had worse. Besides, I'd take this over shrapnel any day. Come on now, love, get up. Not in front of the others."

Kanan couldn't help but grin back at that. He glanced up seeing both Zeb and Sabine standing over them now. Zeb reached down, helping Kanan out of the ditch before Kanan and Zeb both assisted Hera in doing so too. Once all four were on the road once more, they turned, studying the burning vehicle before them.

"Damn it," Zeb muttered. "It was a bloody trap."

Sabine sighed, "It was just too easy. We should have known."

Kanan gritted his teeth. It had been like this lately…Failed mission, less success than usual. Used to, they were a force to be reckoned with…Now though, the Empire was getting more creative with their traps. This had been the third close call in a month.

"Well, in any case, we need to go," Hera said, moving towards the Ghost. "They'll know how long it takes for that thing to blow and come looking."

The others turned solemnly and followed, Kanan lagging behind a few moments…

" _Let them come."_

Once they were loaded onto the Ghost, they rode off in the opposite direction, flying down the street in a blur. Zeb drove for the moment, while Hera prepared the communicator for the very, very long distance call back to the Alliance and Fulcrum. From his understanding, they were somewhere near the coast of North Carolina and since Fulcrum was in San Francisco…Well, it was a hell of a way.

Hera pulled the antenna all the way out of the radio-like device, turning the knob. Though things like this weren't hard to counter by the Empire, they had enough encryptions on their signal that it would take those dumb fricks months to figure anything out.

Kanan sat down at the small dining nook beside Hera as she worked. He motioned to her wrapped elbow, asking, "You disinfect it?"

"Yes, Dad," Hera rolled her eyes.

Kanan made a disgusted face, "I don't need that image in my head."

Hera barked out laughter, but stopped when the radio's static stopped suddenly and the sound of a familiar voice spoke on the other end…

" _Hello? Hello? Fulcrum to Ghost, can you read?"_

"We're here, Fulcrum, Spectre Two, loud and clear," Hera replied.

There was a relieved sigh from the other end _, "I had begun to worry. How did the assignment go?"_

Hera grimaced visibly, "Not so good…It was a trap apparently. We stole the cargo, but it just turned out to be a set of charges ready to go off when we opened it. Everyone is alright though…It's just a bit of a disappointment, we really needed those weapons."

" _It is unimportant at the moment. I have something far greater for you to accomplish."_

Both Hera and Kanan's eyes widened, along with Sabine's who had been sitting on the nearby kitchenette counter. Kanan's eyes narrowed then, asking in a low tone, "And what is that?"

Fulcrum paused before explaining _, "I have a package in the Imperial territory known as Lothal. It should be about four hours from your location. You'll need to go to the abandoned Capital One skyscraper. There you'll meet your contact and he'll hand off the package to you. His name is Tseebo, tell him you were sent by the alliance to collect the grace."_

"Collect the grace?" Kanan asked. "What the hell does that mean? What kind of package are we getting exactly?"

" _I will explain at a later time,"_ Fulcrum responded. _"It is imperative that you get the package to the Alliance as soon as possible…Please."_

"Wait, wait, wait," Kanan snapped, standing. "You want us to smuggle a package out of one of the most infested Imperial camps in North America, without asking what it is before we risk our lives for it?"

"Kanan," Hera hissed, but Kanan ignored her.

Fulcrum sounded strained _, "It is for the protection of the package. You took an oath, Spectre One. Please, do not turn your back on it."_

Kanan's shoulders relented. He had taken an oath, true…But, still…It didn't seem right to not know exactly what it was they were going after, especially after all of their missteps lately. Hera watched Kanan's face silently before leaning into the radio and saying, "It'll be done, Fulcrum. We'll contact you once the package is in safe hands. Over and out."

" _Thank you…Over and out."_

Static filled the Ghost once more and Hera could see the anger on Kanan's face. She stood also, saying, "Kanan-"

He turned and stormed to the only bedroom in the RV, slamming the sliding door shut. Hera sighed deeply and Sabine waved it off, "Eh, let him pout. He'll be into the mission when we get started. Trust me; he always gets there when the fun starts."

"I suppose…" Hera heaved. She just wanted him to have a clear head before diving into the danger. Continuing, she said, "We'll be there in a little over four hours, so I'd take a nap if I were you."

"Good idea, Captain," Sabine gave a mock salute, going to lie down on one of the benches at the table. Hera then approached the front of the RV, peering in at Zeb past the curtain.

"You hear that Zeb?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Heading there now."

* * *

Lothal was one of the biggest Empire territories in North America.

Truly, it was. It stood, surrounded by a fifty-five foot tall wall that had four main gates in total surrounding the city. Of course there were unground passages, but getting an RV through those was less than logical. No, the Underground was better for on foot travel and getting through the city undetected, not for sneaking out of it. Especially with a vehicle.

Approaching the gates of any territory was nerve wracking for Kanan every time. All of the scenarios played in his mind and he had no doubt that he was on the verge of a complete sanity check. Even though their IDs worked every time and typically no questions were asked…

Kanan sat in the passenger seat as they approached the gate, waiting in the line of other "trading" vehicles. That was their cover, always. They were bringing in goods to trade, and they paid their entry fee like anyone else for permission to do so. Though, typically some of their resources were spent stealing from the Empire, not just exchanging goods.

There was an awkward silence between Hera and himself, and he could see her gripping the steering wheel tightly. It hadn't been him to make her this way though…Something else was wrong. He regularly threw such temper tantrums, so obviously something else was bugging her.

"You ok?" He asked, breaking the quiet. She glanced over at him, her stare hard, obviously still a bit frustrated over the events from earlier. It melted quickly though, her grudge blowing away in the wind when she focused hard on his eyes and saw the secureness of his gaze.

"I…" She paused, obviously pondering on what she wanted to say. "I'm just confused is all. Typically, we know exactly what we're going in to get. I don't understand why Fulcrum is keeping this from us."

"To protect the package," Kanan mimicked sarcastically.

Hera rolled her eyes, "I don't know why you have to argue about everything."

"Come on, Hera, even you think that this is shady as hell."

"I do, but I'm not about to argue with Fulcrum on it. They would never put us in unnecessary danger, we do too much for them," Hera breathed deeply. "And…Ahsoka is too good of a friend. You've known her since Before."

"Barely knew her," Kanan corrected. "I saw her passing in the halls of school my freshman year, she graduated before the virus began. I don't know what kind of person she was then, and I sure as hell don't know now."

Hera shook her head, sliding open the window and pushing the grate open as they approached the toll booth. The man in a white uniform and helmet approached, rifle slung over his shoulder lazily as he asked, "IDs?"

Hera handed over four and he went on, "Business in Lothal?"

"Trading," Hera said shortly, holding out a handful of credits. "Here's the entry fee."

The soldier took the credits, handing back the IDs after scanning them. Waving them through, Hera closed the window and Kanan immediately felt a sense of relief flood over him slightly. They began to drive through the streets slowly, Kanan taking in the destitute conditions. The bad thing about living behind the safety of the wall, was the risk of starving to death. No credits, no ration cards. No ration cards, no food. No food…Death.

That was one thing their team actually managed to keep plenty of. Food wasn't scarce for them; they came across it all the time in their travels. But, big settlements like this hoarded the food for the rich and gave little to the poor. People were lining the streets, many of them beggars or homeless. More than half of the buildings had been marked as dangerous and blocked off.

Which was where they were going.

Hera pulled into a parking lot with several other RVs that were obviously there for trading. She parked, looking over at Kanan before both stood and moved to the back where Zeb and Sabine were sitting in the nook.

"Alright, here's the plan," Hera said, putting her hands on her hips. "Zeb and Kanan are going to get the package while Sabine and I stay to do some trading. We need to at least get a few goods in order to make it look like we did business while we were here. I'm gonna need to find some parts for the radiator anyway; it's getting worn out again. Any questions?"

"Shoot," Sabine sighed. "I was hoping to beat in some Imperials."

Zeb shook his head, "I'd gladly trade."

"No," Kanan answered. "We're going to be traveling Underground until we get to the building and if there's any roadblocks I'm going to need your help moving the debris. No offense to you Sabine, but you're a marksman, not a bodybuilder."

Sabine grinned, "Sure you can take those Corpses that are probably roaming around down there?"

Kanan fought down a smile, "I'm sure."

Hera clapped her hands together in finality, saying, "Alright then, let's get this show on the road. You two boys head out and remember your bags."

"Yes Mom," Kanan said, copying her words from earlier.

Hera made the same disgusted face he had as Kanan turned, grabbing his backpack from the bench. Zeb did the same, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. Kanan checked his holster gun to make sure there were plenty of bullets before putting a machete over his own shoulder.

Good to go.

As was tradition, there were no goodbyes. Goodbyes were too final, and damn right wrong, because they really could mean goodbye. It was just simple silence as the two males exited the RV and began their trek towards where they knew the entrance to the tunnels would be.

Twilight was befalling them, and Kanan couldn't have picked a better time. Once they had the package, they could smuggle it back to the RV with the cover of night. They'd have to worry about the curfew, but other than that they should be safe. Zeb walked in step beside him, towering above him. Kanan was nowhere near short, but Zeb was definitely tall. He was probably an NBA player in a past life.

"So, do we still have no clue what type of package we're getting?" Zeb questioned as they slipped down a concrete drainage canal, walking towards the giant tunnel at the end of it. The water was up to their ankles, but the combat boots they wore was enough to keep their feet dry. A few times getting trench foot had cured everyone of wearing sneakers.

"No clue," Kanan replied after several moments. "Must be important though if Fulcrum didn't give us time to prepare. And didn't want to say it over the radio."

"Curious," Zeb said, scratching his shadowed chin.

They moved on in the quiet, entering the darkness of the tunnel and Kanan immediately felt anxiety crawl into his bones and make a home there. Both he and Zeb reached into their packs, pulling out their flashlights and clipping them onto their backpack straps. Zeb had his gun off of his shoulder and Kanan held his pistol in his hand, eyes peeled in the darkness as they continued to move.

Another reason why people didn't use the tunnels often…Corpses still lived inside them.

It was the sewer systems though, and Corpses rarely staggered out into the territory, so being upground was safe as could be. But Underground was a different story. The things crept in the bowels and wandered around in the darkness, hungry for human flesh, but rarely getting a meal.

If anything, it made them more rabid than the ones that roamed outside of the city.

Only people like their crew were stupid enough to go in them.

Their feet echoed on the concrete with each step, not a sound other than that moving about the cavern. Neither dared to speak, because speaking pulled them in, and speaking distracted you. One could come right behind you and you would never know.

Funny thing was, the things were blind. They relied on sound and smell alone.

So the darkness didn't really bother them much.

But, it sure as hell bothered Kanan.

"You know…" Zeb whispered quietly. "I'll never get accustomed to places like this."

"No one ever does," Kanan sighed in a hushed tone. "Now quiet, they'll hear, you know they're like bats with that shit."

And that was a mistake. A small exchange and the footsteps of running and sprinting feet were unmistakable. They found themselves at a four way; shining their lights to the left towards the sound…All they could see were the shining of the Corpses' dead eyes running towards them…

Kanan glared in Zeb's direction, growling, "This is your fault."

Then he shoved him to the right, sprinting behind them as they began to run. Shooting would be a last resort, it only attracted more, so running at the moment was the best option. If they could get out in the open, then they could gun down the Corpses without risking getting cornered underground…But, right now they were just rats in a maze.

"This way!" Kanan ordered, taking a left, their feet splashing in the water. His chest ached with lack of air and his stomach was churning from the rotting smell of the corpses behind them, along with the fact they were roaming the sewers.

Zeb was beside him, both used to running away from things. It still didn't get easier on the body though, and if anything it got harder. Zeb had taken a bullet to the knee some years ago during his family's massacre and Kanan found himself worrying constantly it was going to give out on him and he would be giving the nearly seven foot tall man a piggy back ride.

Kanan was relieved when he saw the slight light ahead from street lamps and he knew they were approaching the exit of the tunnels. The feet continued to follow them, but as soon as they burst into the open air, Kanan turned around and began to fire madly at the Corpses that followed them out. They fell one by one, Zeb following in suit. The sun had gone down in their trek, the guns sparking with each fire.

Seven corpses followed them out, and all lay dead on the ground.

Zeb groaned, leaning forward, gasping, "Bloody Mary, I hate those things."

"Too bad they're everywhere," Kanan patted the guy's shoulder before taking in several deep breaths of his own. It never got easy, almost dying. It was scary every freaking time and he loathed feeling like his life was in danger every time he went outside the RV.

But, then again, he would hate living a safe and mundane life just as much.

The two climbed from the trench, returning to solid ground before seeing the Capital One building off in the distance. It wasn't a far walk now and Kanan was relieved. He wasn't one for running.

Within thirty minutes they were approaching the front steps, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, checking for curfew violators. Curfew was a serious deal in these camps, and was punishable by paying credits, rations, or even ones freedom. Possibly death.

Depended on the mood of the trooper arresting you.

The bank was fourteen stories tall at least, but run down and decimated. The boards had been pried from the front door, so it was obvious someone had come through recently. Probably their contact if Kanan had to guess…Or hope.

Both climbed through the broken glass of the front door, entering the large lobby. It was lit by a small lantern in the corner, hanging on the stairs railing leading up to the next floor. A marker. A beacon.

Up it was.

"Are we sure about this?" Zeb questioned as they began to climb the stairs, their guns drawn.

Kanan tilted his head, "I'm never really sure about anything anymore, but it's Fulcrum and I trust Hera's judgment. Even if I would never admit that to her."

Zeb groaned, "You two are disgusting sometimes."

The next flight of stairs had another lantern, so they climbed it as well, going all the way to the fifth floor before they stopped. There only seemed to be one door on the floor that could be opened, the rest boarded up with planks. Both Zeb and Kanan approached the door, jiggling the knob a bit before realizing it was locked.

Kanan nodded his head at Zeb and Zeb nodded back, grabbing the knob. Kanan's heart beat in anticipation as they both slammed their shoulders into it, pushing it off its lock and swinging the door open. They drew their guns, only to pause when the sight before them made them both hesitate.

A boy, no older than twelve or thirteen, was standing before them with a pistol trained on them both. He was short, his cheek smeared with dirt and his eyes wide and blue. It reminded Kanan of the time he had gone down to Mexico on an assignment and saw the crystal blue waters of the coast.

The child's eyebrows were up in terror, and his hands trembled as he held the gun. He was chewing his bottom lip raw with anxiety and his orange hoodie was stained with gunk. He was blinking hard, maybe trying not to cry with fear of the two males who had their weapons trained on him as well.

"Hey kid," Kanan said slowly, lowering his own gun and gesturing for Zeb to do the same. The kid was obviously terrified out of his mind and had no idea what the hell he was doing with that weapon. The boy saw the slow movements and tightened his grip as Kanan continued, "We're just here to 'collect the grace'."

That caught the kid's attention and immediately he lowered his gun, turning his head and calling out, "Tseebo!"

Kanan and Zeb both jumped when the boy reached out hurriedly, grabbing them by their wrists and tugging them inside, shutting the door behind them. A man rounded one of the corners of the room. He was short and thin, his face looking pale.

Their contact.

"Thank goodness," Tseebo breathed, putting a hand on his chest. "I was beginning to worry something may have happened to you."

He held out his hand and greeted, "My name is Tseebo, one of Fulcrum's inside correspondents. You must be Kanan Jarrus; I've heard amazing stories of you and your team."

Kanan shook the hand hesitantly, somewhat put off by the man's appropriate mannerisms. Not many people acted this way, business built and all that. But, Kanan could imagine the man being a scrawny accountant in a past life.

"Ditto," Was Kanan's only response, his eyes falling to the boy who was staring at Kanan's gun warily. Kanan put it in his holster, Zeb slinging his over his shoulder as well to follow in suit of his leader. Kanan then questioned, "Fulcrum said it was important that we get here fast."

"Oh yes, very much so," Tseebo explained hurriedly. "It's very important the boy is moved from the city, to Fulcrum immediately."

Kanan's eyes widened and he looked at Zeb who looked just as shocked. He then found the boy, the child's eyes staring up at them with anxiety and a bit of fear, though the little thing tried desperately to hide it behind a hard gaze. A hard gaze Kanan could see right through because he had once held that gaze as a child.

Then it hit him…This kid…That's why Fulcrum didn't say what the package was. The package wasn't a package at all, it was a person. A _child._ One of the most vulnerable things on the planet, no matter how many guns you put in the kid's hands. That's why Fulcrum had acted like it was so precious…

What on God's earth did Fulcrum want with a _kid?_

"Wait, wait, wait," Zeb shook his head wildly. "We're smuggling this?"

He gestured to the boy and the boy crossed his arms over his chest, snapping, "I'm not a _this_. I'm a he, and I'm a person."

"We can play the pronoun name later, kid," Zeb growled. "I want to know why Fulcrum didn't mention we had l _ive_ cargo."

Tseebo looked rather surprised before shaking his head, "I'm sorry…I was not aware that you had not been told of the details…I apologize."

Kanan still stared at the kid who hadn't removed his arms from over his chest. He looked rather livid honestly that Zeb had called him a this and that fear had melted away so quickly and turned to annoyance. He must no longer have considered them a threat, rather than people complaining about the job they were about to have to do.

The man shook his head, they couldn't move a kid…Moving a kid was crazy…It wasn't anything they had ever done before…

That thought was stopped when the sound of engines roaring came up through the broken window. Kanan rushed towards it, peering down and seeing two convoy trucks parking out in front of the building.

" _Shit,"_ Kanan thought madly. _"They must have seen us come in."_

Kanan then turned, saying, "We'll have to worry about all of this later, we gotta go, _now_."

The boy's eyes widened and Tseebo grabbed his shoulders, looking him into the eyes before saying, "This is where I must leave you, Ezra Bridger. Please, trust these people. They are some of the best there are in the world. Some of the most loyal."

The child…Ezra, looked up into the man's eyes desperately before asking, "Can't you come with us?"

"No," Tseebo smiled sadly. "My destiny is not with you."

Zeb was quick to reach out and pulled the kid away, saying, "Sorry to interrupt, but Imperials are heading this way."

Kanan watched Ezra cringed heavily and shut his eyes, wiping away the threatening tears. He took the boy from Zeb's hold, dragging him from the room with them as he gave one last wave back towards Tseebo. Kanan's chest ached. To this Ezra kid…That man was something other than a contact. It looked like tearing a child from its parents, though Kanan knew that wasn't the case.

Once they were in the hall, Kanan could already see the flashlights coming up through the stairs. Zeb silently gestured towards the fire escape at the window, making Kanan nod in affirmation, dragging Ezra along towards it. It was already broken, Zeb jumping over the glass and Kanan lifting Ezra to hand over to the taller man.

Kanan climbed over just as soldiers made it to the top of the stairs, beginning to fire at them. Kanan ducked down, pushing the others towards the ladder, shouting, "Go!"

Zeb practically jumped down each flight, turning every time to drag Ezra down with him when Kanan would hand him off. They were in synchronized motions, bullets bouncing around the metal and pinging with each hit. Kanan felt Ezra's grip on his arms tighten every time a bullet would fly by their heads and Ezra would give him a stare of complete and utter terror.

This was no place for a kid.

Once they reached solid ground, they took off into a sprint back towards the sewers and the trench. They slid down unceremoniously, Kanan catching the child as he came down before pulling him through the water towards the tunnel. Zeb covered them, firing with his rifle behind them as they ran into the entrance.

They continued to run until Ezra had to stop…

Kanan wasn't surprised when Ezra placed a hand on the wall and wretched, his stomach emptying out into the water below their feet. He was biting down sobs, now that things had calmed down a bit and Kanan sighed, looking over at Zeb who was watching with an unfortunate expression of not knowing what to do.

Kanan stepped forward, putting a hand on the child's back and patting it when the vomiting stopped. He asked quietly, "You ok?"

The kid nodded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and taking a deep breath. His cheeks were stained with tears and he looked up at Kanan with a sorry expression. He shook his head, "Tseebo was…Important."

"Important?" Zeb asked.

"To me," Ezra clarified. "He was important to me."

Kanan understood immediately. A friend. Sometimes in this world, there wasn't a word for friend, just importance in the person's life. And a child born in this world, not knowing what it was like Before, probably wasn't sure what it was called.

Kanan put a hand on his shoulder, asking, "You ok to move? We gotta get back to our crew."

Ezra nodded in confirmation as they began to walk, though something was still nagging at Kanan. Zeb walked behind them, as Kanan and Ezra walked in front, Kanan's flashlight lighting the way. Kanan asked finally, unable to contain the question any longer, "So…Ezra was it?"

Ezra grunted a small, "Yes."

"I'm Kanan," Kanan introduced, pointing a finger back at Zeb. "And this is Zeb."

"I know," Ezra answered. "Tseebo told me about you guys before you came to get me."

Zeb hummed, "Yeah, about that, why exactly were we sent to fetch you?"

They were approaching the exit and Ezra opened his mouth hesitantly as they walked into the open to answer. However, he was cut off when the butt of a gun slammed into Kanan's forehead, sending Kanan stumbling on the ground. Ezra let out a shout, jumping back as the weapon was turned around on all three of them and they were ordered harshly by two officers, "On your knees, now!"

"Alright, alright," Zeb groaned, sounding more annoyed than afraid as he turned. Kanan moved to his knees, hands going behind his head as Ezra did the same.

The two troopers stood behind them, making Kanan rather nervous as he heard one order, "Scan 'em, make sure they're clean."

"Clean?" Ezra asked, eyes widening and looking over at Kanan with a worried look.

Kanan shook his head, "To see if we're bitten."

Kanan could see Ezra visibly cringe at that and the device was pressed to Zeb's neck first, obviously coming back negative. When he moved to Kanan's neck, Kanan said, "You know, we can offer credits in return for release."

"Shut up," The trooper snapped. "All you smugglers are the same."

Then the device was on Ezra's neck.

Before it beeped in finalization however, Ezra reached into his pocket, yanking out a thin blade. He turned quickly, digging the weapon into the man's shin. The gun went off right beside his head, making his ears ring in shock. Ezra yanked the weapon out, rearing back to stab again when the man was suddenly tackled by Kanan.

Zeb was quick to take out the other, kicking the guy in the gut before blowing his head open with his rifle. Kanan then snapped the other's arm, putting a pistol bullet through his eye.

Ezra felt sick again, that much was obvious.

"What the hell, kid!?" Kanan snapped as Zeb approached the device and picked it up. Ezra felt his heart skip a beat and his fingers dug into the mud under him when he saw Zeb's eyes go wide and he looked down at him.

Zeb shouted, tossing the machine to Kanan who caught it, "Look at this!"

Kanan stared at the screen a long moment, trying to decipher what he was seeing…

INFECTED

Holy…

"What, Fulcrum set us up?" Zeb snapped, looking down at Ezra before going on, "Why the hell are we smuggling an infected kid!?"

Zeb lifted his gun and Ezra held up his hands hurriedly, shouting, "No, no, no, you don't understand! I'm not one of them!"

"Oh yeah?" Zeb growled. "Then explain the diagnosis."

Ezra's chest was rising and falling at a quick pace, his eyes moving to Kanan in a pleading manner. Kanan gripped the machine, shaking his head in response as he ordered, "Start explaining, now. Or we won't have a choice in what we do."

"Just look!" Ezra pleaded, rolling up the sleeve of his orange hoodie to expose his forearm. There was a wound, obviously where a chunk of skin had been bitten and teeth surrounded it. However…miraculously…It wasn't inflamed or bleeding.

In fact…It looked healed.

"This is two months old!" Ezra explained, tears beginning to pool around his eyes in fear at Zeb's gun pointed at him. "I swear to you…"

"That's not possible," Kanan whispered. "People turn in the first seventy-two hours."

Ezra gulped, shaking his head, "I know…I know that, but look, I didn't. That's why I'm supposed to be going to your facility, alright? I'm supposed to be getting…checked on…"

He obviously wasn't quite sure what the reason was for him going to Fulcrum. He was trusting a bit blindly, like a kid in a desperate situation would. However, Kanan held out his hand, and Zeb hesitantly lowered his weapon as Kanan tossed aside the machine and kneeled down in front of Ezra so he was eye level.

It didn't make sense…None of it. A kid…Who hadn't turned? That was a load of bullshit right there…But, then again it had to be. If Fulcrum hadn't told them they were smuggling a kid…If it was that precious…

It suddenly made sense to him.

This kid was really, really important to Fulcrum right now…

"Ok, kid," Kanan sighed. "We'll go through with the plan…But, if I even start to see the slightest change in behavior, I will end this assignment right here, right now, you understand?"

"Yes sir," Ezra whispered. "I understand."

Kanan nodded, looking back at Zeb who still looked wary.

What had they gotten themselves into?


	2. Association

**AN:** A chapter two, posted quite quickly cause I hate leaving on chapter one too long. I think it loses its edge or something. So here's the second, and please let me know what you think of it with a review and any theories you have are welcome! :)

Chapter Two

" _Association"_

The rest of the sprint back to the RV was spent in total silence besides heavy breathing and feet slipping and sliding in the dirt. They were desperate to get back before more of the troopers showed their ugly helmets and risking a repeat of the situation.

Kanan glanced back at the kid, who was hurrying between himself and Zeb. He hadn't appeared to be showing any signs of a fever or any other ailments that came along with a bite, leaving both he and Zeb very confused. The wound was nearly healed, leading Kanan to wonder if maybe some kind of mistake had been made and Ezra hadn't been bitten by a Corpse, but rather something entirely different.

He hardly bothered to question it though…

But, he didn't voice these wonders. He just ran with the others, dodging flashlights and avoiding anywhere they knew the troopers would be stationed. After several events of jumping fences, the light from the RV was visible in the parking lot and Kanan crouched low, Zeb following in suit. Kanan reached back, pulling Ezra down into a crouch as they approached the door, eyes directed towards the watch tower not far.

Once they were beside the swinging door, Kanan gave three synchronized taps before it flew open. Kanan grabbed Ezra, pushing the boy up the stairs first before going in himself, Zeb stomping in behind them. Hera was there, eyes wide at the sudden belligerent entrance into the Ghost as she stumbled back into the counter of the kitchenette. All three were trying to catch their breaths, Kanan holding the back of the child's hoodie with a tight grip.

"What in the…" Hera began, eyes landing on the boy with shock. She looked between the two men before continuing, "Where's the package? Who is this?"

A few more seconds of them trying to collect air into their lungs passed before Kanan swallowed and shook his head, "There was no _package_."

Hera, if anything, looked even more perplexed than before as she tilted her head to the side and studied the three. Zeb glanced around, asking, "Where's Sabine?"

"On a late night exchange," Hera provided, putting her hands on her hips. "She's getting us the part for the radiator so I could stay with the Ghost. Now, will someone please answer my question?"

Both Zeb and Kanan made eye contact before Kanan straightened his shoulders, releasing his hold on Ezra. The boy was shivering, blue eyes wide on the woman in front of him. Kanan could see the kid unconsciously gripping the place on his arm under the hoodie where the bite was shown to them. He was afraid. He was afraid Hera was about to react the same way Kanan and Zeb did.

Kanan addressed Zeb, "Hey, why don't you and the kid see if you can't find anything in the back for him to change into?"

Ezra looked slightly offended, looking down at his clothes. Then again though, they were stained with mud and God knows what else, so he didn't argue. Zeb looked wary, mouth opening and shutting a few times before Kanan gave a serious and slow nod, causing Zeb to straighten.

"Yeah, alright," Zeb concluded, moving to the back and motioning for Ezra to follow. Hera watched them go into the small supply closet before being yanked towards the front and past the curtain where the two "pilot" chairs sat.

Kanan peaked through the curtain to make sure the others weren't listening before turning back to Hera who looked even more concerned than before, "What is going on, Kanan?"

The man licked his lips, obviously not knowing where to begin. He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping as he whispered, "Hera…There wasn't a _real_ package."

"What, do you think Fulcrum was wrong?" Hera replied.

"No," Kanan shook his head. "The _kid,_ Hera. She wants us to smuggle that boy all the way to the Alliance."

Hera's eyes grew ten times wider and she took a moment to look around, obviously searching for words. Slowly, she sat down in the chair, looking up at Kanan after putting her elbows on her knees. She looked lost, and it made Kanan's heart ache for her, and his mind furious with Fulcrum. Hera was putting so much hope into the Alliance, and for what? For them to blind side them without specifics to prove they really had no trust in them in return?

"The kid…" Hera repeated. "What in the world do they want a kid for?"

Kanan looked nauseas all of a sudden, grabbing the chair beside him and gripping it until his knuckles turned white. Shaking his head back and forth, he muttered, "That's the worst bit of it…He's infected."

Hera shot up in an instant, hand flying to the pistol on her hip, but Kanan's own shot out and stopped her from pulling it from the holster. He shook his head rapidly, hissing, "No, no, wait. Let me explain why he's on our RV."

"You'd better get to explaining, and fast," Hera gritted out. "Because, having an infected person on the Ghost isn't exactly what I call a job, more so suicide."

"And I completely agreed," Kanan said. "But…When Zeb and I questioned him, he showed us his bite and it was…"

He couldn't say it. The words wouldn't leave his throat and he felt the world tilting at the very thought. An immune little boy, right in their RV. Hope. A savior in a child, and it was so Biblical and fantasy that…God he couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it, because the past fifteen years had become such a regular thing. A system. A habit. Surviving. Killing Corpses and Imperials.

Shit…If the Imperials found out about this boy…

"It was what, Kanan?" Hera pushed.

Kanan shut his eyes before opening them again and saying as quietly as he could for her to still be able to hear him, "It was _healed._ I-It was two months old, and was just a scar. That's what Fulcrum wants with him…I think they want to use him to find some kind of a cure or something."

The words seemed ridiculous coming out of his mouth, and he truly expected Hera to look at him with disbelief. But, that's not what he saw…He saw her green eyes light up as if the sun had suddenly sent out a flare behind her irises.

Hope.

Hera was always so quick to hope.

"Oh my God," She breathed, swaying on her feet slightly. Kanan could see her eyes watering with a mixture of shock and glee. She continued, "Kanan, do you know what this means? Do you know what this could _do_?"

"I have a pretty good idea," Kanan sounded less than pleased. "It could cause chaos if anyone except for the Alliance finds out."

Hera shook her head, looking like a child who had just heard the best news on the planet, "Wh-What's his name? Where's he from?"

Kanan looked confused, but Hera was weird about some things, he had known that ever since she had decided recruiting his drunken ass from that bar so long ago was a good idea. Literally intoxicated off his rocker, a lost cause. But, Hera liked those.

"His name is Ezra. I don't have a clue where he's from. I'm guessing here."

It was short and sweat and to the point. Before Hera could say anymore, the door to the RV opened. Both moved through the curtain to see Sabine standing there, a grim look on her face and anger in her eyes. Zeb was sitting at the nook; the boy…must have been in the back Kanan supposed. Maybe they had managed to find him some clothes after all.

"What happened?" Hera asked worriedly.

Sabine rolled her eyes, jumping to sit on the kitchenette counter as she explained, "Deal went south. The bastard wanted more than he had initially said, and I wasn't about to give him more credits than his crappy radiator was worth."

"Sabine," Zeb groaned. "We needed that."

"I looked at the thing myself, it _should_ last us the three day drive back to the Alliance to bring the package. Once we're back we can get a new one," She paused. "On the subject, where is this mysterious package?"

As if on cue, the sliding door to the back room opened and Ezra appeared. The clothes Zeb had apparently found deep in the catacombs on their supply closet appeared to fit him perfectly. Of course, they collected all kinds of clothing for trading, so it wasn't too much of a surprise. The kid wore a pair of clean, darker jeans that weren't ripped at the knees like the others. And he wore a blue long sleeved shirt. However, he still held his orange hoodie close to his chest, obviously hesitant to leave it anywhere for too long.

Kanan's diagnosis: Street Kid Who Had Too Much Stolen

Sabine's eyes widened at the sight of the petite child whose eyes had widened on her as well. Though, Kanan didn't miss the admiration towards the elder girl flash in his face, he was quick to bury it down, looking away from her and towards the floor.

Kids.

Zeb shoved a thumb in Ezra's direction and replied, " _This_ is the package."

"This!?" She exclaimed and Ezra looked up, glaring at Zeb again.

"I told you, I'm not a this," Ezra's teeth were obviously gritting together. "I'm a _person_."

Zeb raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the kid's arm, "Yeah well, if that bite turns out to be what I think it is, you won't be a person for very long."

Sabine jumped from the cabinet, shouting again, "A bite?!"

She turned her face towards Kanan and continued, "You brought someone bitten onto the Ghost!?"

Zeb answered before Kanan could, waving her off, "Yeah, yeah, Fulcrum didn't exactly give us the important details on the subject, but apparently the kid was bitten _two months ago._ They think he's immune, I just think he's a late bloomer."

Ezra's cheeks were burning red and he was gripping his hoodie hard against his chest. Hera stepped forward, glaring at both Zeb and Sabine before approaching the smaller child. Ezra's glare shrunk and he looked into the woman's face with hesitancy when she held out her hand, asking, "Could I see it?"

Everyone knew what she was referring to, but Kanan thought for a moment Ezra wasn't going to show her, but rather bolt out of the RV right then and there. He looked like a skittish dog about to be stomped on, but the fierceness in his eyes was a force to be reckoned with.

The boy rolled up his sleeve, exposing the scar on his forearm. Definitely healed up…Not inflamed at all. Hera took it, running her fingers over it, making Kanan want to step forward and stop her from touching it, but then again, she knew what she was doing. She shook her head in amazement, whispering, "This is…Unbelievable."

Ezra yanked his arm away suddenly, grumbling as he covered up the bite, "Well, you wouldn't be the first to not believe me."

He then shot glares at both Kanan and Zeb, actually making Kanan's heart twinge a bit in guilt, though he didn't know why. They couldn't just go around believing everyone who tested positive for the virus, but refused to admit they were bitten.

Hera grabbed his shoulder hurriedly, "No, Ezra…I believe you. Completely. My name is Hera Syndulla; I contacted Fulcrum today about picking you up. We were just surprised is all…She didn't tell us much about the assignment, just where we could find you."

The uneasiness in the RV swayed a bit and some dissipated, though Sabine still looked highly concerned. Ezra was ringing his hands together, appearing to be unsure of how to handle the attention and the fact that Hera was being gentle with him.

"When Tseebo spoke to her, she said I shouldn't tell anyone about…well this," He pointed to his arm. "I didn't know if these guys counted, because they didn't seem to know I was the person they were picking up. And…Well, if Fulcrum didn't tell them, I didn't know if I should either."

"Ok, rule number one, Kid," Kanan stepped forward, eyes narrowed on the child. "Fulcrum isn't always right. In fact, half the time she's wrong. Just today she sent us on a run that nearly got us blown to smithereens. And she was wrong for not telling us all the details about picking you up."

"Kanan-" Hera began, but Kanan held up a hand.

"No, Hera, she was _wrong f_ or that," Kanan snapped. He gestured madly to Ezra before continuing, "I almost let Zeb shoot him when that thing came back with an infected diagnosis. I wouldn't have even batted an eye. She put his life in jeopardy, I don't care what the hell her excuse is, if the kid is as important as he appears to be, she shouldn't have risked that."

Hera's mouth sealed shut and she glared at the other. Kanan looked down at Ezra who was looking at him with an uneasy gaze. Ezra said in a hushed tone, "She said I can help people."

"And you probably can," Kanan shrugged. "But, not if she gets you killed first."

Zeb made an awkward, sound, standing from the nook when Hera continued to stare at Kanan angrily. He said, "I'll head to the roof for first lookout. See you all in the mornin'."

Sabine laughed uncomfortably at the pair, "Yeah, I'll go help. Come on, Zeb."

The two hurried out, leaving Ezra to fend for himself with the two strangers. Hera blinked when she realized he was staring at them warily before giving a hesitant smile, still angry with Kanan. Moving to the sink, she briefly used their precious water supply to dampen a rag before moving to clean the dirt from his cheek.

Ezra only flinched slightly at the touch before allowing the woman to do what she wanted. Kanan thought he had no desire to frustrate her further as she gave Kanan a silent treatment. The man looked down at the floor, waiting for her to finish, finalizing with wiping Ezra's hands clean.

"You can take the back room tonight," Hera said, smiling slightly.

Ezra's eyebrows furrowed, "But, that's the only bed-"

"It's fine," She explained. "The nook turns into two beds and the bench turns into one. Someone is always on the roof keeping watch while the others sleep, so we have enough space. Go on, get some sleep."

Ezra hugged his hoodie close, eyes glancing back and forth before he nodded, backing up towards the room. He gave one last look before sliding the door shut.

Kanan knew this was about to be bad.

Hera whirled on him, growling, "You had no right to tell him stuff like that about Fulcrum. He's already wary of us; he doesn't need to be wary of the people he's being brought to."

"I'm just being honest," Kanan gripped his hands into fists and whirled on his heels madly, pacing to the other side of the RV. "Do you think that kid deserves to be led like a blind sheep? He should know that Fulcrum isn't some perfect goddess, but rather a human who screws up and has flaws."

Hera shook her head, "You don't think he's aware of that? Look at him. He is clearly no stranger to people turning things around on him. The way he looks at us, the way he kept that hoodie of his so close like one of us was going to snatch it from him. He knows these things, but he's trying to have faith that going to Fulcrum will make it better."

"It's false hope," Kanan snapped. "It's not _real_."

"He is the human image of hope, Kanan," Hera was trying desperately to keep her voice low, but was failing. "He's carrying it inside of him, whatever is keeping him from turning…That's hope. That's success. That's immunity. He's _important_."

"And I'm not saying he's not. I'm saying that filling him up with the risk of letting him down isn't fair to him. I've watched people's faith go flying out the window, and trust me it's not pretty. Especially not for some little kid."

Hera's jaw was set and she shook her head again, moving to the front of the Ghost. She grabbed the curtain, and before entering turned around to say…

"Just because you drank your hope away doesn't mean others shouldn't have their own."

Then she was gone behind the curtain, leaving Kanan reeling…

Shit…That had hurt.

He turned when he heard the door sliding slightly, Ezra's head peeking through. His eyes were wide again and Kanan sighed deeply, shutting his own a moment before approaching the door. Ezra jumped back, almost sliding it shut again before Kanan caught it and entered the little room with only enough space for the bed.

Ezra sat on it, staring up into Kanan's face. Kanan balled up his hands and asked, "You were listening huh?"

"Yeah," Ezra said, eyeing Kanan's fists warily. He rung his hands together again and went on, "I-I'm sorry. I don't know you people too well and I…I shouldn't have listened. It won't happen again."

Kanan noticed the gaze on his fists and unwrapped them hurriedly, shaking his head, "The Ghost is small. It's hard not to listen in. There aren't many secrets here."

Ezra made a funny look at the name, Ghost, but voiced no question. Instead, he stared at his hands in his lap. Kanan sighed deeply, crossing his arms over his chest before saying, "Kid…I'm going to ask you something, and this is the only time I'm going to ask it. You understand?"

Ezra looked up, nodding slowly. Kanan continued to stand over him, before questioning, "You're not lying are you? You really got bitten and didn't turn."

The child didn't even hesitate before saying, "I swear to you…I was bitten two months ago and I haven't shown the slightest sign of…You know. I don't think Fulcrum would have gone through so much trouble to keep me hidden if she didn't believe me."

Kanan was silent and Ezra went on, "That's why I trust her. Tseebo trusted her…And my mom and dad trusted Tseebo. So I trust her too."

Quiet. Then a breath and Kanan was running a hand through his hair, muttering, "This is insane."

Ezra scoffed loudly, shaking his head back and forth, "You're telling me."

That made Kanan think…Ezra hadn't asked for this. Any of this. And his trusting Fulcrum wasn't any of Kanan's business, but he didn't feel it was right to let the kid go in without a clue about who Fulcrum was or what she was about. Honestly though…Kanan didn't know the answer to those things either.

He wasn't going to let Hera's words get to him. She may be one of the dearest things to him, but it wasn't _fair or right_ to practically brainwash a kid into going into the unknown. It was preying on his adolescence and him not knowing any better. Kanan didn't know this kid, and honestly was annoyed as hell that they were given the task of looking out for him, but what little morale of his that was left told him that exploiting him was wrong just because his bite didn't turn him.

"Hey?" Ezra said quietly, grabbing Kanan from his thoughts. "You ok?"

Kanan blinked, "Yeah, kid. I'm fine."

His head turned suddenly when he heard the familiar static of their radio filling the room outside of the door. Kanan knew immediately who it had to be and held out a hand for Ezra to stay where he was, exiting the room and sliding the door shut behind him. Hera was already there, adjusting the radio as to get a better signal and answer to Fulcrum's message.

" _Ghost crew?"_

Kanan felt his blood boil just at the simple sound of the woman's voice. He grabbed onto the table of the nook and leaned in to shout profanities when Hera shot him a glare, stopping him immediately. Hera cleared her throat, replying, "Yes, Fulcrum, we're here."

There was slight hesitance…

" _The package?"_

"You mean the kid?" Kanan snapped, slamming his hands into the table, startling Hera slightly. "The kid you didn't tell us about and also happens to have some kind of medical anomaly-"

" _Don't speak of that on open air,"_ Fulcrum said just a fiercely. _"There were some things I could not say, Spectre One. Now, I apologize for my misleading instructions earlier, but it was something that had to be done for the safety of the boy. Is he alright?"_

"He's fine, no thanks to you," Kanan huffed, turning and beginning to pace.

Hera shook her head, "Without Fulcrum we wouldn't have even known he was out there."

"I don't care," Kanan whirled on the woman in an instant. "How many times do I have to say that!? I'm tired of her excuses and I'm tired of you excusing her behavior!"

Hera stood, but Fulcrum's crackling voice cut in _, "I…Truly am sorry. Please, I don't have much time to tell you this before we lose signal. You must get the package here as quickly as possible. It is imperative that it gets here-"_

"He," Kanan hissed. " _He_ , Fulcrum."

She paused _, "He…It is imperative that he get here as soon as possible. I beg of you to pardon me until we are in person and I can explain everything thoroughly."_

There was silence and Hera narrowed her eyes at Kanan, saying, "I think we can do that."

She then turned her attention to the radio and continued, "If we leave tomorrow our ETA will be about three days without too many stops and if we don't come across any road blocks. At the most it should take us a week. We'll contact you if something happens."

" _Thank you, Spectre Two. I have to go now, please look after the pack-…The boy with your life. He truly is our top priority at the moment."_

"Will do," Kanan said bitterly.

The radio cut its feed and the static stopped. Hera put it away, shoving it into a small compartment under the table and beginning to set up the two beds that the table and nook converted into. Hera shook her head and said quietly, "I'm going to sleep."

Kanan set his jaw, "That's probably a good idea."

In just a few minutes, all three beds were set up and Hera and Kanan had themselves pushed as far away from each other as possible on the nook beds. The lights were cut; Sabine returning soon after Kanan had begun to doze. She climbed into the bench bed, making as little sound as possible.

It was a normal night really, except for the bed change.

In the darkness, Kanan found himself unable to slip past the faze of dozing. Worry and anger ate away at his gut and long after the women's breathing had evened out, he was still vaguely aware of the ceiling above his head and the slight sound of Zeb's foot tapping on the roof. He wished he had volunteered for watch, and considered going to the top to relieve Zeb when he heard a bump and then a grunt from the back room.

Kanan sat up instantly, staring at the sliding door and waiting for any other sound. It returned, this time just the sound of the bump with no grunt following in suit. Kanan swung over his legs, careful not wake Hera and Sabine before moving to the door and pressing his ear against it…

Bump.

Kanan slid open the door as silently and as quickly as possible. Ezra, who was on the bed, hands on the window frame, jumped away hurriedly. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Kanan and the man stared with his eyebrows furrowed. At first glance, one would think the kid was making an escape attempt through the window he had been struggling to open, but upon further inspection that was illogical. The windows were covered with bars to keep out undesirables and besides, it was clear the window was much too small for even the petite child to fit through.

"Eh…Sorry, sorry," Ezra said in a hushed whisper and Kanan entered the room, shutting the door as not to disturb the others.

Kanan shook his head, asking, "What are you doing up, kid?"

"I just," He paused, eyes traveling around the room as if he wasn't so sure of the answer himself. He looked confused, and Kanan had to guess the kid was either exhausted or had woken up from being asleep and had started tampering with the window.

"You just what?"

Ezra rung his hands together like he had done earlier before answering, "It's stuffy. I'm not used to sleeping… _inside_ , you know? Before Tseebo…Well, anyway, I don't sleep inside. I feel like I can't breathe in here, it's too small."

Kanan nodded, understanding suddenly. Ezra was trying to open the window to get _air._ Kanan approached it, putting a knee on the bed as he leaned over and slid the window up in one fluid motion. Ezra looked mortified by the fact he couldn't do it, but then ignored it and leaned forward, pressing his face into the bars to breathe in the crisp night air.

"I think the word you're looking for is claustrophobia," Kanan provided, awkwardly letting his hands fall to his sides and moving from the bed as Ezra continued to peer out the window and breathe. "Lots of people have it, it's normal."

"But, I'm not," Ezra sighed, shoulders slumping. He looked up at the man before asking, "Do you remember what it was like? Before?"

Kanan's eyebrows furrowed and Ezra looked surprised he had even asked it. Immediately the kid babbled, "Eh, I'm sorry, really…I uh…Kanan was it? I'm sorry. That's not something you ask people, that would have pissed me off-"

"I really don't care, kid," Kanan rolled his eyes. "I do remember Before, yeah. Why?"

Ezra was gnawing at his bottom lip, eyes returning out the window almost wistfully, "I just wonder how many are left…How many people know what real normal is. Because, this is normal for me…Bad stuff happening and people dying. I know it wasn't always this way, and it shouldn't be this way. But, it is…"

He paused before continuing, "I wasn't born Before. I was born a year after the first infection case…I was born the day New York went down. My mom had me in the middle of chaos…People dying around her and my dad…I heard stories from them, but Mom said I was the only good thing about that day. They managed to get out of the city with me, and they came here as soon as it was settled."

Ezra gripped the bar on the window and sighed, "It's a bad omen, I think. Me being born that day wasn't a good sign and I don't think it ever will be…"

Kanan wasn't sure why Ezra was telling him these things, and it made him feel slightly guilty that he had no clue what to say in return. But…He wasn't a kid person…He didn't understand them and he didn't have the slightest clue how to comfort them. He was a survivor…And now he worked for the Alliance. That was his identity. That and this RV.

All the man could manage to say in return was, "Get some sleep. We've got to leave tomorrow and smuggling is always a strenuous process."

Ezra nodded, not responding verbally before Kanan turned and left the boy to his thoughts. He didn't know the kid…He had only met him a few hours before, but he wanted so badly to turn around and sit with him in the silence while they both pondered on their existence and why they couldn't seem to get their shitty thoughts in line.

Why they were so plagued by fear.

When Kanan settled back into his bed, he shut his eyes and truly hoped sleep would come soon. He didn't think he could stand another few hours of lying awake in the quiet…

It was when he heard the shaking sobs from the back room that he knew he definitely wasn't going to get any sleep tonight…


	3. Personified

AN: Aaaaand another chapter for you wonderful people! Hope you all enjoy! I love all of your feedback; it always makes me quite pleased. And all of your theories are so wonderful! Some of you are actually figuring things out quite well! XD I love story suggestions also, but after all, I'm the kind of person to outline a story before writing it, so I know where it's going already. However, I do like to see how you guys would write it, so keep 'em coming. I love you all, have a super day!

Chapter Three

" _Personified"_

Despite Kanan's belief, he did end up falling asleep after several more hours of lying awake. There were no dreams, though there rarely were anymore unless they were nightmares about losing crew members or people from Before. People who were long gone from his life now and people he would never see again. Tonight was not one of those nights luckily.

However, his awakening was quite rude.

Kanan sat up straight on the pull out bed when he heard loud shouting right outside the door to the RV. He blinked heavily, eyes focusing to see the door wide open, Ezra peering around the frame outside at where the shouting was coming from. Kanan couldn't make out any words, but it sounded angry and it didn't sound like a voice he recognized.

He was up in an instant, grabbing his gun from the counter and moving to the door, pulling Ezra by the shoulder. The boy flinched, looking back with wide eyes before Kanan pressed a finger to his mouth to keep him quiet.

The last thing they needed was a fight to break out and the kid to get stuck in the middle. Fulcrum would definitely love to hear how they lost her precious package on the first day of babysitting.

Ezra nodded in understanding and Kanan made his way down the stairs, Ezra standing where he was. When Kanan exited the RV, he immediately felt his adrenaline begin to wash away the sleep from moments before…

Sabine stood, a stone hard glare plastered to her face as a gun was pointed at the center of her chest by some nobody that Kanan had no clue about, but he had just made a giant mistake. Zeb's rifle was pointed at stranger and Hera had her hands raised in a peaceful gesture. Kanan though, raised his gun as well upon exiting, asking roughly, "What the hell is happening out here?"

The stranger looked at Kanan, snapping, "How making of you are there? Jesus Christ, if the little bitch would just admit to taking the part to the radiator and give it back, I'd leave you low life's alone. I'm a working man, I ain't got time to deal with thieves."

"Wait what?" Kanan asked, eyebrows drawn together. "You think we took the part to your radiator?"

The man shoved the gun in Sabine's direction, "She was the last one who saw it! And she seemed quite desperate for it too, so I'm willing to bet it's somewhere in that nice RV of yours! Now give it back! She didn't want to pay!"

Kanan looked at Sabine with a hard stare before asking, "Sabine, do you have it?"

Sabine looked more offended than afraid of the gun in front of her. She pivoted her head to look back at Kanan before asking, "Wouldn't you think I would have shown you guys last night if I had? I told you, he didn't want to sell it for the original price so I left. End of story. I didn't take it."

"Oh yeah?" The man growled. "And if you didn't take it, then who did?"

Zeb growled, "If she says she doesn't have it, she doesn't have it. Now drop your bloody weapon!"

"No!" The man replied. "If I allow people like you to get away with stealing my livelihood, I'm as good as dead! Now give it back or I'll blow a hole in her chest!"

Hera stepped forward a bit, saying, "We don't want any trouble."

"Should've thought of that before you let a little thief into your group!" The man was almost hysterical and Kanan had to bet that he wasn't the most stable of men. "Now give it back!"

Kanan jumped when he heard a voice from the RV shout suddenly, "Wait!"

Everyone paused, looking back to see Ezra emerging from the RV. Kanan's hand tightened around his gun and the stranger's eyes narrowed on the child's small form. He was wearing his dirty hoodie again, his hands in the pockets. Kanan snapped, "Get back inside."

"No," Ezra whispered. "Just hang on…"

Slowly, Ezra began approaching the man, slipping something from his pocket. He held out his hand towards the man, showing a small metal part on his palm shining in the morning sunlight. The man's face turned red with rage as he reached out, snatching the thing from the child's hand.

Ezra cringed back, only to be yanked forward by the front of his shirt as he began to be shaken harshly, the world spinning before his eyes. The man shouted, "You think you can steal from me, you little rat!"

He felt cold metal press to his side and the shouting continued, "I'll show you what happens to thieves!"

Ezra was deafened by a popping sound…

He fell to the ground less than gracefully, blinking as he realized the heavy weight on him was that of a body. The stranger's body. The stranger that was now dead and bleeding out across the asphalt below them. Ezra kicked him away, eyes wide in shock and his senses simply wanting to get away from the dead body as soon as possible.

Who had…?

Ezra looked over to see Kanan's gun was smoking now, his eyes narrowed darkly on Ezra. The boy didn't get much time to process what was happening when Zeb suddenly stomped forward, grabbing him and shaking him much like the man had moments before. Ezra blinked hard as Zeb growled fatally, "Are you out of your mind, kid? You took the man's part and put us all in jeopardy!"

"I'm sorry!" Ezra shouted, willing to say anything to get the world to stop. "I overheard you all talking, you guys needed it!"

"So you took it!?" The skyscraper of a man continued. "That bite must have driven you insane!"

Ezra felt the other get pushed away suddenly and he realized Hera had stepped between them. She held out her hand to stop the other from pursuing Ezra again before she said, "Zeb stop it, you might hurt him."

Zeb threw his hands up in disbelief, "Oh yeah, we wouldn't want to hurt the kid that nearly got Sabine popped! All because he's Fulcrum's special little prize!"

Ezra felt his eyes burn and he gritted his teeth in rage. His mind was screaming at him to turn and run and get away from these people as his eyes traveled from one to another. Sabine looked annoyed, Zeb looked angry, Hera looked frustrated, and Kanan…God, Kanan looked _enraged_.

And it was all aimed at Ezra.

He turned on his heels, beginning to sprint in the opposite direction. The world was slamming down on him and he wanted nothing more than to go back to Tseebo and stay there, not bothering to travel to Fulcrum if it meant being with these people. He had tried to help them…And this is what he got. He got hatred and anger and he didn't want to stick around until they decided to just do away with him before even beginning to smuggle him.

Ezra didn't make it from the parking lot when his feet were suddenly lifted from the ground by a strong arm grabbing him around his middle and lifting him. He flailed his limbs madly, banging on the arm with as much strength as he could muster.

He heard Kanan grunt, "Kid, you'd better stop fighting me before I knock you out. You're not running off to go get yourself killed and get us kicked out of the Alliance."

Oh, again it was their skin they were protecting. He wasn't surprised though, it was always that way…With everyone he had ever met.

Ezra's body slowed when the arm around him didn't release. When he stilled completely, he was set back down on his own feet, his shoulders grabbed so that he was turned around to face an angry Kanan. He thought about socking him and sprinting away, but with the rest of the guy's team only a few feet back at the RV, it seemed a loss.

"Alright," Kanan sighed, looking entirely too tired. The man was worn out and this kid was already getting the better of him. He gripped Ezra's shoulders tightly, trying not to become belligerent with the child. "Listen here, I've got rule number two ready for you."

Ezra's eyebrows shot up in surprise and Kanan went on, shutting his eyes as he took in deep breaths to keep himself in check. He wasn't patient by any means, but he couldn't risk this kid trying to get away from them the whole journey. It would be more like a prisoner transfer than a smuggling.

It would be both really, and both didn't mix.

"Rule number two," Kanan went on, looking Ezra hard in the eyes, the boy's blue irises wide and afraid. "We don't take without consulting the crew about it. Stealing is dangerous, and we always consult each other to see if it's worth the risk. That part? It wasn't worth stealing, and it almost got Sabine popped."

Ezra was silent and Kanan continued, "Do you see where you did wrong?"

Shit, it was like talking to a five year old. He was probably offending the kid by how badly he was talking down to him, but Kanan had no clue how else to speak. This kid was younger than Sabine, but older than any other kid Kanan had dealt with in the past. He was at a loss. A crossroads with no sign.

To his surprise though, Ezra simply nodded tightly, mouth set in a line. Kanan sighed in relief before releasing Ezra's shoulder and turning back to the others. He then said, "Ok, let's go before someone comes to check on…" He gestured lazily at the body. "This…"

"What, that's it!?" Zeb shouted. "A slap on the wrist is all you're giving him!?"

Sabine was actually grinning as she shook her head and looked at Zeb, saying, "Already spoiling the kid."

"I'm not spoiling anyone," Kanan groaned. "It's being a bit lenient, yes. But, he didn't know."

"Didn't know," Zeb grumbled, rolling his eyes. Kanan's shoulders rolled and he glanced at Ezra who was glaring darkly in Zeb's direction. This was going to be a constant battle on their journey back to the Alliance, that much was clear. Kanan shook his head slowly and looked at his taller friend.

Before he had the chance to pacify him though, Hera approached, taking Ezra by the shoulders and glaring in Zeb's face, causing Zeb's mouth to shut. Hera was a force to be reckoned with and unfortunately for Zeb, Hera had decided to take up the mantle of mother bear.

Sabine sighed loudly to break the silence, saying, "Come on, it's not a big deal, Zeb. The kid was trying to help."

Ezra's eyes had widened at that and Kanan thought he had a feeling why. Quick forgiveness…It wasn't something a kid from the streets would be accustomed to. People didn't just forgive you for things, they shot you or held a grudge until they got even. But, here was Sabine, letting him off with a simple wave of the hand as if her life hadn't just been placed in danger.

Kanan shook his head, "How did you even get out of the RV without us noticing?"

Ezra shrugged, "After you went back to bed, I just went out the front door. Your 'guard' here was snoozing on the roof."

Zeb's face burned red and Kanan could have laughed. It was no revelation, but it certainly was unnerving to know that they had been unprotected for so long. Long enough for a little one to escape. Hera raised an eyebrow at Kanan, obviously questioning the mention of him having "gone back to bed". Though, she didn't voice it.

"Alright," She said, waving at everyone. "Let's load up; we've got to get the kid's ID before we leave the city."

"ID?" Ezra said, eyes widening. "Why do I need an ID? I thought you guys were just going to hide me and I'd be smuggled out."

No one answered his question until they were all loaded back onto the RV, Zeb taking the driver's seat again. Hera was squeezing his shoulders comfortingly however, making the worry melt away a bit more. Kanan was sympathetic…Things like this were hard enough for adults, and nerve wracking enough. For a kid? It was a nightmare.

Hera shook her head, "We can't risk them searching the RV and finding you. Our best bet is to get you a fake ID from an old friend of mine."

"What if they scan me again?" Ezra's voice was shaking now and Hera tightened her hold on his shoulders. Kanan sat in the nook, beginning to check his gun for an adequate amount of ammo.

He looked up, explaining, "You don't have to worry about that. They don't usually check people unless they're like us last night, coming out of infected territory like the sewers. Over the years, people have stopped allowing bite victims into their groups. They've gotten smarter."

"Or more brutal," Ezra growled.

Kanan raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, setting his gun aside. Slowly, he place his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, sighing deeply as he said, "Let me ask you a question."

The blue eyed boy who Kanan had heard sobbing just the night before looked tougher than necessary. Actually, tougher than he was. He was trying too hard to be strong in front of these people, to not look vulnerable. It was how life had to be, but then again it still made Kanan angry at the world for being so cruel. For taking away childhoods and making children who had to be adults.

When Ezra gave no verbal reply, Kanan went on, "Do you think risking the safety of your entire group, your _entire family_ , is worth one person? It would be selfish, don't you think, to put everyone in danger?"

"What if they're like me? What if they don't turn?" Ezra shot back.

Kanan set his jaw and Ezra actually stepped back a bit. Hera glared at the man for the intimidating posture, but Kanan broke the conversation before she could interrupt, "It has been fifteen years and I have yet to see one person with the same immunity as you."

Ezra's face was that of a runner, wanting to bolt right out the moving vehicle, which was why his sprint in the parking lot hadn't surprised Kanan one bit. This kid's fight or flight instincts were strong, and when he felt a conversation going south, his first instinct was to run away. To get away.

Kanan had a feeling that was going to come back to bite them in the ass.

Zeb called back from the driver's seat, "So, am I driving where I think I'm driving? Because if so, I don't think I can take much more idiocy for today."

"We are," Hera hummed, guiding Ezra to sit on the bench on the other side of Kanan before walking to the front where Sabine and Zeb were. She continued, "I don't like the guy either, but we need an ID for Ezra."

Ezra swore he heard Zeb mutter something like, "We could always strap him to the roof."

Kanan was silent as he continued to mess around with his gun and Ezra stared at the floor, eyebrows pulled down tightly. The others were talking up front, but the silence in the back of the RV was overwhelming to the boy. His chest ached to return to his way of life before he was sucked into the mess. Before that stupid day it had seemed to be a good idea to go roaming outside of the quarantined zone…

He had been so stupid and now here he was…Stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Ezra hadn't even realized his nails were digging into the soft flesh of his palm until Kanan's hand wrapped tightly around his wrist, squeezing hard enough to nearly bruise and forcing him to release and open his hand. He was bleeding, however little it was, the tiny trails of blood were noticeable from his mental temper tantrum.

Ezra looked rather surprised at himself, staring at the damage he had done with wide eyes. He jumped when a napkin was shoved into his hand, clearly to wipe away where he had harmed the skin. Finally, he dared to look up into Kanan's face which was entirely impossible to read.

There was no annoyance to Ezra's surprise, in the man's features. There was pain…burden. There was sorrow. There was rage. Ezra had to look away to keep himself was becoming nauseas with the bombarding emotions threatening to hit him like a wave. Why did Kanan care if he had cut his palms? He was just a package after all to these people. He was just an it.

The ride was about twenty minutes and it was spent in overwhelming silence, despite Hera's return and attempts to converse with Ezra. She asked him things about his life, about his daily routines, about his favorite things. But, she never once crossed into territory that was anything more than comfortable.

And then they were stopping, and Zeb was stomping out, Sabine following behind. Zeb sighed, "Well, we're here. Ready to deal with the Devil?"

"Lando is hardly the Devil," Hera laughed, standing from where she had sat down beside Ezra in the booth. "He's definitely annoying, but nowhere near the Devil."

She turned and looked at Ezra, gesturing for him to stand also, "He'll need to take a picture of you for the ID."

Ezra looked disturbed at the idea of a picture, but stood nonetheless. Kanan slipped his gun into his holster and looked at Sabine, saying, "You stay with the Ghost and make sure no undesirables decide to take a look."

Sabine grinned, patting the gun on her side, "Of course. I love dealing with those."

They exited the RV an Ezra took note of the surroundings. They were outside of what he knew used to be a city hall building. It was surrounded by a large fence, two men standing in front of it with guns on their backs. It looked like a compound inside of a compound and it only made Ezra wonder what kind of person they were about to ask for help from.

"Don't worry," Hera whispered suddenly, as if noticing Ezra's concern. "Lando has dealings with the Alliance. He gets a share of profit for providing scouts with IDs. You don't have to worry about him."

Ezra bit down on his lip and nodded. His hand tightened on the napkin he was still holding, following the elders towards the entrance to the gate. Once in earshot, the man asked stiffly, "Name?"

"Hera Syndulla," Hera said simply. "We need to see Lando about an ID."

The man's back straightened at hearing Hera's name, head nodding. He spoke into his walkie-talkie, saying, "Sending four in. Name: Syndulla."

There was a no reply, only a buzz as the gate opened and they were gestured through. They walked down the path and up the steps before entering the double doors of the building, walking past two more guards.

As soon as the double doors opened, a smiling face greeted them, exclaiming, "Well, if it isn't my dear Hera!"

Ezra's face contorted when the man wrapped an arm around her shoulder and Hera rolled her eyes. Kanan crossed his hands over his chest, narrowing his gaze of Lando, obviously knowing the man's attitude. Zeb made a point to fake gag in the opposite direction, and Ezra would have laughed had the tall man not pissed him off earlier.

"Hello, Lando," Hera sighed. "How are you?"

"Can't complain," Lando shrugged, turning his attention to Kanan before continuing, "Ah, and Kanan Jarrus. I heard rumors you had been thrown out of the Alliance."

Ezra's eyebrows shot up and Kanan glared darkly at the man, though forced a smirk, "You know rumors, Lando. They get out of hand sometimes."

Lando shook a finger at him and tsked, "I have a feeling this story wasn't a rumor though."

Ezra wanted to question what they were talking about, but from the looks on everyone's faces, he wasn't going to get an honest answer. No one appeared to want to talk about it, and Lando simply shrugged, saying, "Alright, my friends. What can I do for you?"

"We need an ID," Zeb snapped, obviously tired of the small talk. "We can't get the kid here out of the city until we have him one."

Lando, for the first time, acknowledged the boy standing beside Kanan. Lando raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth from Kanan to the child and back again. Lando then groaned, "Oh Jesus, I sure hope he's before Hera's time-"

"Do I look old enough to be his father?" Kanan growled. "Shove off."

Lando laughed loudly, waving him off, "I was only joking, Kanan. Always the serious one. Anyway, I can get the kid one, sure. But, you know the law about juveniles. They can only be moved with a parent or other relative. So, you're going to have to play house for a bit with Hera here and _pretend_ you're old enough to be his dad, alright?"

Kanan looked over at Hera who simply shrugged, the eyes of a person who was completely done with the situation looking back at him. Ezra simply looked confused and Zeb…Well, he seemed like he wanted to shove the end of his rifle into Lando's skull.

"Fine," Kanan grumbled. "Get the ID, and we'll have Fulcrum wire you the pay."

Lando rocked on his heels, "Now, that's what I like to hear. Come on, kiddo, let's get a picture of you."

It wasn't able to be missed, the way that Ezra looked at Hera for reassurance to follow the stranger. It actually made Zeb and Kanan look at each other to make sure they had interpreted it the same way. Hera gave a soft smile, putting a hand on Ezra's shoulder before pushing him forward gently and sending him in the direction of Lando and the door behind him.

Both Hera and Ezra went through the door, Ezra glancing back at Kanan who stayed behind in the lobby with Zeb. His eyebrows were raised in confusion, though he made no voice of it as the doors closed behind them. As annoying as Lando was, Kanan trusted him, and Hera would have requested they come along if she felt the need.

Kanan sighed, leaning against a nearby pillar for support as he shut his eyes. The morning's events had been tiring enough and the day seemed to just be dragging on. He wanted to get the kid out of the city already, to get out of Lothal and on the road to the Alliance. Hopefully that road would be easy, but getting all the way to the East Coast hadn't been, so getting back to the West sure as hell wouldn't be.

His mind drifted to Ezra…Back on the RV the kid's emotional distress had been apparent. Especially when he had unknowingly cut into his own palm with his nails. This entire situation was something he didn't understand or know how to handle, which Kanan couldn't say if he was in the same spot he would know what to do either. Having to trust these adults he didn't know, especially with their hostile tendencies. The kid was afraid and stressed out. Kanan felt for him…

He had been that kid once.

"You know," Zeb hummed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning on the pillar opposite of Kanan. "I have a really bad feeling about this."

"About what? Lando?" Kanan smirked.

Zeb rolled his eyes, "No…This, bringing the kid to the Alliance thing. I feel like we're not being told everything, and I'm used to it by now…But, if anyone else finds out about his little immunity-"

"I know," Kanan sighed, leaning his head back farther. "All sides will want him. The Alliance already does, then there's the Empire, bandits, the rogue civilizations. They'll all try and get their hands on him. I don't understand how the Alliance managed to get a hold of him before anyone else."

Zeb shrugged, "The Tseebo guy obviously knew the kid for a while, and he was a correspondent with the Alliance. He must have contacted the Empire when he realized the kid wasn't turning."

Kanan nodded in agreement before they fell back into silence. How had the kid even managed to get bitten in Lothal? Unless he had been digging around in the sewers, and even then the chances of the kid going in there alone were slim to none. Ezra wasn't stupid, Kanan knew that much at least.

A few more minutes went by before Hera and Ezra returned with Lando behind them. Hera handed the plastic covered ID to Kanan who looked down at it, having to keep from laughing at the photo. Ezra's eyes were shut and his face cringing, obviously because of the bright flash of the camera. Ezra didn't miss Kanan's almost smirk, sending a glare up at the older man.

Zeb though, didn't try to hide his laughter, exclaiming, "Good God, kid! Have you never taken a picture before!?"

Ezra snatched the photo back and growled, "They don't exactly take photos on the regular in Lothal. My old ID with my real name had a better picture, but…I was a lot smaller."

"And obviously more photogenic," Zeb continued to cackle.

Ezra shook his head and Hera placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling softly. Kanan took the ID back from Ezra and read his fake name: Dev Morgan.

"Dev, huh?" Kanan asked. "Why that name?"

Ezra shrugged, "They said I had to use Morgan as a last name 'cause that's what you and Hera have for yours. I just like the name Dev."

" _I just like the name Dev,"_ Kanan thought, rolling his eyes. What a kid thing to say.

Kanan glared when Lando patted him on the shoulder suddenly, grinning widely at him. The man said, "Well, Mr. Jarrus, I suppose this is where we all depart for some time again. Thank you for your work and also…Please do try to stay out of trouble."

The final part was sincere, though Kanan didn't know if trouble meant the Empire or the Alliance. Either way, Kanan would struggle.

Kanan narrowed his eyes, shrugging off the hand, "Yeah, I'll do my best."

With that, they were on their way, Lando waving them off like they were going on a lifelong cruise. They went out the gate, past the guards and back into the parking lot where the Ghost was waiting. However, instead of seeing Sabine standing alone in front of the RV, there was also a man standing there as well.

Kanan knew without seeing him up close he had to be an undesirable.

Bandits and thieves weren't abnormal. Some traveled in groups and others traveled alone. This one though, was obviously trying to talk something out of Sabine. Whether it be food, credits, or clothes, Kanan didn't really care. He just wanted him _away._

Once in ear shot, Kanan could hear Sabine growling, "Look, I told you, we don't give out to _scum_. Especially to scum that obviously work for Vizago."

"Is there a problem here?" Zeb asked lowly, gripping his rifle.

The man whirled around, obviously surprised by the group. He blinked, his eyes focusing on Kanan before he grinned, his yellow teeth disgustingly rotten. He greeted, "Kanan Jarrus, my, it has been many years. I was just speaking to your friend here about getting a few rations of food to feed me for my journey back to Vizago's camp. You know how it is-"

"Actually I don't," Kanan snapped. "I stopped doing business with Vizago years ago. And even then I was never a part of his little gang. Now, get away from our RV and take your rotting pride with you."

The man's smile faded and suddenly turned rather annoyed. His eyes moved from person to person, maybe calculating if he could overpower any of them. His focus landed on Ezra who was staring up at him with a rather disgusted look on his face. The man smirked, saying, "Well, Jarrus, looks like you and the lady got busy."

It was only when the man reached out and ruffled Ezra's hair that Kanan snapped. Kanan reached into his belt and pulled out his pistol faster than anyone could take a breath. He shoved the man's chest, pushing him into the side of the RV and pointing the gun in his face. The man's eyes had widened with his hands up in defense.

"Woah, woah, Jarrus," He said shakily. "I didn't mean to-"

"Shut up," Kanan hissed. "You leave now without another word or I'll pop you right here."

There were no arguments. The man scurried away, not another peep from his lips as he did so. Kanan breathed out slowly through his nose, watching the back of the retreating figure before turning around and facing the others.

They were all silent, blinking at Kanan. Ezra's face was probably the most priceless of them all, mouth set in a straight line, eyes wide. He was trying to hide his surprise in his jaw, but he couldn't in the bleeding blue irises. Kanan put the gun back into its holster, sighing, "C'mon, let's load up. We need to get out of this freak show."

No one argued as they filed onto the RV. Hera took the driver's seat and Kanan sat up front with her as well. Both Zeb and Sabine sat in the nook, pulling cards from one of the shelves.

And Ezra took the bench, face staring deeply into the wall before him…

What a bizarre day.

* * *

Ezra only got nervous when they approached the gate to leave the compound.

The entire ride, he had been sitting silently, contemplating on what had taken place before him back at the guy named Lando's. He couldn't help that it unnerved him the way Kanan could snap at a moment's notice and threaten to take someone's life away as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Ezra didn't have that ability. Which was why he had struggled so long on the streets.

Hesitating in taking? No, never. He had never hesitated to take what he needed to survive. But, hurting people was different. Even people who had hurt him. He would stop, his hand wouldn't move. No trigger. Just his mind whirling and a contemplation worth drowning to escape.

Sabine and Zeb had paused their card game when they approached the gate, Kanan standing from the passenger seat to move to the back towards the others. He held all of their IDs, and Ezra could feel his shoulders trembling as he watched Kanan move towards the door.

"What're you doing?" Ezra asked worriedly. "Why doesn't Hera just give the IDs to them?"

Kanan glanced back from the door and explained, "They're going to search the RV. Always do, just to make sure we're not taking an abundant amount of goods with us. Or people. Don't worry, kid. You'll be fine."

Ezra wanted to take the reassurance seriously, but he really couldn't. No one was ever fine when it came to the Empire.

No one was ever fine, period. But, at the end of the day, anyone who was dead was dead. So you at least were alive.

When the RV stopped, Kanan reached for the door, only to step back when it was yanked open harshly. Ezra expected to see a trooper with his helmet on, but instead saw two, along with one man in a strange uniform he had only seen a few times. He had large sideburns and his face was cold and heartless.

Ezra felt his stomach go cold. This was an agent, no ordinary trooper.

"Good afternoon," The man said, though there was no sincerity in his voice. He walked straight up the stairs into the RV, the troopers immediately beginning to poke about. Kanan's face looked deadly, causing the man to smirk and hold out his hand, "IDs?"

Kanan handed them over and said, "I don't remember my last trip to Lothal being so…intrusive."

"Ah, well," The man said, flipping through each of the IDs slowly. "We had a bit of an incident last night. Found two of our men, just shot and dead. No rhyme or reason really, which is a tragedy because…The Empire is only protecting its people."

There was venom in regards to the last sentence. He went on, "I'm Agent Kallus, by the way. I _apologize_ if you feel a little uncomfortable with our search, but it is necessary. I mean, you know how they handle children. If one won't admit, they must all be punished."

Agent Kallus' eyes landed on Ezra who squirmed under the glare, but managed to narrow his eyes firmly. Kallus smirked slightly and looked down at one of the IDs, asking, "Dev Morgan, hm?"

He then gestured to Kanan and went on, "Is this your father, Dev? This Mr…Wade Morgan?"

Kanan raised an eyebrow in Ezra's direction and Ezra paused before clearing his throat and answering, "Yep…He's my dad."

"Must have had him young, Mr. Morgan," Kallus hummed, looking more judgmental than suspicious. Kanan glared as Kallus turned his attention to Zeb and Sabine, continuing, "Miss Pippa Gaze and Mr. Jon Freemont. Pleasure."

The troopers returned from the back room, both nodding their heads in an 'all clear' manner. Kallus nodded back as the both of them exited the RV. Kallus turned his attention back to the occupants and said, "Well, I suppose this is good-bye. Enjoy your journey."

And he was gone, just like he had come. Several stomps, a slam to the door, and evaporated. Hera stuck her head through the curtain and asked, "Everything good back there?"

Kanan cleared his throat, holding the IDs that had been shoved into his hands. He nodded, "Yeah, let's just get out of here."

Ezra was staring wide eyed at the floor, only flinching slightly when Kanan plopped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. The man said quietly, "See? You're fine."

With that he returned back behind the curtain and Zeb and Sabine resumed their card game.

Ezra didn't get how they could recover so quickly, but he could somewhat see why. The world was round. It kept going whether or you were in it or not. So the threat of their lives being taken wasn't so scary to them anymore. They were adjusted to it.

Ezra actually didn't want to become adjusted to something like that. When he had been bitten and thought he was going to die…It had been one of the most terrifying moments of his life. But, that was just it…

It made him aware he was _alive._


	4. Nice Guys

**AN:** So I wanted to get this posted before tomorrow because I have to work and I didn't want to frick up and procrastinate. Thank you all for the reviews, I really enjoy each and every one of them. And thank you Pup-Ashbless for your awesomeness, I didn't get to thank you until you logged in personally. You all make me soooo happy and inspire me to update quicker. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Please excuse grammar mistakes I updated this at like two in the morning. xD I love you all to pieces.

Chapter Four

" _Nice Guys"_

Ezra was convinced that this Zeb guy was out of his mind.

It was unfathomably obvious as an hour passed on their drive and Zeb continued to become more and more unglued at the poker game unfolding between himself and Sabine. Sabine's back was to Ezra while Zeb sat facing the boy in the nook. Even as Ezra watched from his place on the bench, he felt uncomfortably close as Zeb became more and more rowdy.

The scary part was that Sabine actually was finding his outrageous behavior _funny._

The game had been in Sabine's favor most of the ride and eventually, Ezra jumped when Zeb exclaimed, "You have to be kidding me! You must be bluffing to bet that high!"

Sabine shrugged and gave him a crooked grin, "Do you want to find out?"

Zeb's mouth was agape as he stared at the younger before his eyes shifted past her head just a moment to catch Ezra's blue ones. Unable to watch the scene before him anymore, Ezra looked at Sabine's cards a moment from his seat behind her before shaking his head to Zeb. A small smirk graced the man lips and he set down his cards, saying, "Full House."

Ezra could see Sabine's jaw drop from her reflection in the glass cabinet behind Zeb's head. Her head flew around at Ezra who was covering his mouth to keep from snickering at her reaction as she shouted, "You helped him call my bluff!"

"He did not!" Zeb defended hurriedly. "I beat you fair and square."

Ezra however, wasn't going to lie, knowing she was just as guilty, "To be fair, I saw you looking at his cards in the glass cabinet behind his head."

Sabine's eyes narrowed and Zeb jumped to his feet, slamming his hands on the table, "You cheat! That's how you've been winning all this time! No wonder you always sit on that side of the table!"

"He helped you; you're just as much of a cheat!" Sabine quipped back.

"Alright, calm down," Kanan sighed, exiting from behind the curtain in the front of the RV. He plopped down on the bench beside Ezra, studying the kid who was trying to suppress his cackles behind his hand at the ensuing argument he had caused. It was strange to Kanan, how the kid had already sort of conformed to them and was already recovering from the events of that morning.

A few moments more passed as Zeb and Sabine bickered before the teenaged girl turned in her nook to look at Ezra. She set down her cards and asked nonchalantly, "So, any clue what Fulcrum wants with your Superman self?"

Ezra seemed thrown for a loop a moment, processing the sudden subject change. His grin had fallen into a look of sullen ignorance. Like he didn't know, but wanted to know, however wasn't quite positive if he _really did_ want to know.

"I have no clue," Ezra sighed, wringing his hands together. "But, I knew I couldn't stay in Lothal testing positive for scans and all…So, I decided I'd rather go with the Rebellion than the Empire."

Zeb scoffed, "And what made you make that wise decision?"

Ezra's face looked blank; the emotion flashing by so quickly none of them could see it. His answer was short and sweet and to the point…

"The Empire kills people."

It was a child's answer, but they didn't have to ask to know that _people_ meant important people. Important people to Ezra.

There was an awkward silence that fell over them and Kanan sighed deeply, seeing the distress in Ezra's face at the sudden realization that he had been the cause. Kanan put a hand on his arm and said quietly, "Go sit up front for a bit."

"Uh, yeah," Ezra said, rising from the bench and moving to the curtain. He pulled it back, seeing Hera in the driver's seat, staring ahead. She glanced back as he entered, giving him a smile as he did so. He didn't think he had ever seen such a genuine smile from anyone in his entire existence, except from his mom.

"Hi," Hera greeted as Ezra took the passenger seat. "Wanted to sit up front a while?"

"Kanan sent me," Ezra answered. Quickly, he held up his hands and went on, "N-not that he made me or anything. It's nothing against you-"

"I understand," She was still smiling and Ezra sighed with relief, realizing he hadn't caused it to falter. "How are you?"

Ezra blinked, unsure what to say. How was he? Well, he felt like shit. But, other than that, yeah he was dandy.

"I'm fine," He hummed. "I did almost get Sabine shot though, so I've been better."

Hera grimaced at that and her hands wound tighter around the steering wheel as she shook her head, "It's not your fault. We've all made our mistakes and you've probably grown up in a way that taking was the only way to survive. But, that's what separates the Alliance from the Empire. We take what we need to survive. They take for comfort."

Ezra bit his lip, "I was the only one ever put in danger when I would steal. I've never had to worry about getting other people in trouble for it."

Hera's smile returned and she replied gently, "You're not alone anymore and you're going to help a lot of people."

Ezra's hand found the bite scar on his arm and he sighed, "I hope so. I hope this isn't all for nothing. Leaving Tseebo right after I found him again…Leaving that Hell hole of Lothal… It might suck there but it's home."

"I understand," Hera grimaced.

"Do you?" Ezra raised an eyebrow.

"Completely," Hera sighed. "The virus didn't hit until I was in high school, but even before that things were…Strained at home. They just got worse as time went on."

Ezra's face was swallowed by guilt and pity. Though, he didn't have room to pity anyone. His life was pitiful. It was hopeless. But, it was shocking how a bite was the thing that had given him the hope to go on. How the promise of helping others had been what made him decide to run from Lothal and do something worth doing.

"I'm sorry," He said in a hushed tone.

Hera shook her head, "Don't be, those times have passed."

Both jumped when the front of the RV began making a rumbling sound and white smoke began to pour from under the hood. Hera hissed a curse under the breath, slowing their drive as she stopped in the middle of the abandoned highway that was lined with empty and old cars. She put the vehicle into park, jumping from the driver's seat and through the curtain. Ezra followed behind, finding everyone else had already filed off the RV to check the damage under the hood.

Both Sabine and Hera dug around a moment, Zeb, Ezra, and Kanan hanging back a bit. Only a few seconds went by before they all heard the dreaded sound of Sabine groaning loudly before pulling her head out of the hood, Hera following in suit. The girl shouted angrily, "The bastard tried to sell us a faulty part and died for it! Idiot."

"Obviously he didn't know it was faulty," Hera sighed, looking at the three males with a tired expression. Ezra felt bad for her. They just wanted to get him to the Alliance as quickly as possible and things didn't seem to be according to plan at all. "I'll try to get it fixed."

Zeb sighed, "We'll need to be quick about it. No telling what's crawling on this highway."

Hera raised an eyebrow and Zeb hurriedly raised his hands in defense, "But, no rush."

The woman nodded in approval at the correction in his tone. Ezra felt his chest tightening with anxiety as the group slowly dispersed; Sabine and Hera staying with the radiator while Zeb moved to sit on the warm asphalt for some God awful reason. Kanan had already begun to pace and really, Ezra wanted to disappear. He didn't want to be here, and he missed Lothal passionately. The terrible place he hated…He missed it.

That was weird.

Ezra turned slowly, eyes scanning the abandoned cars. Mine as well do a little scavenging while he waited. He approached the bunched up vehicles that had been moved to the side of the road after the initial evacuations. It cleared the highway, but left many cars behind as people had gotten out to walk, going into an oblivion that did not exist. Ezra wondered if any of the owners were still alive, still walking the earth fifteen years after the first case of the virus.

It had been bad luck indeed, to be the generation that had to experience the End.

And Ezra's generation was the rose merging from the ashes, to either save the world or destroy it. To join the Alliance or to help the Empire expand its claws. America would never be enough for them. They would want other countries as well, but contact outside of what once was America was slim. Too many places were worried about their own people to worry about the foreign affairs. Honestly, Ezra knew other countries had existed, but he couldn't tell anyone their names. He didn't know. He didn't even know the names of the other _continents_ in all reality. School wasn't really a thing anymore. You could go learn, but you didn't have to. And Ezra had just been too busy trying to survive in the Now then to go looking to learn about Before.

Ezra's fingertips skimmed over the rusted doors of old vehicles than hadn't been bothered with in years. The windows were broken out of most and the seats smelled of mildew from the rains getting inside along with snow and sleet. He had never been in a new vehicle before. The military were the only people who got new anything.

His eyes scanned inside of each one, looking into the backseats to see if he could find anything worth looking at. He stopped beside a four door Nissan. Probably one of the few vehicles he actually knew the name of. Probably only because it was one he saw often and the grill on the front read the name. The paint had probably been white in a past life, peeled and rusted off with time.

Ezra tried to peer into the backseat, but the windows were actually still quite tented and not broken out like the other vehicles. His hand wrapped around the handle, pulling it open without hesitation to check out the contents of the car. However, before he even got the chance to process what he was seeing, his nose was filling with the familiar smell of rotting flesh and he was being thrown back into the concrete ground.

The boy gasped when his head knocked into the hard surface, something wrapping around his neck and snapping in his face. He instinctively pushed at the figure's shoulders, seeing that the thing before him had glossy white eyes and melting flesh that smelled terrible. The loose jaw snapped dangerously close to his face and he couldn't seem to even find the words to scream for help as he struggled on the ground.

It seemed he could only remember one name to scream as he shouted in a shocked and high pitched voice, "Kanan!"

The other names were on the tip of his tongue, but just as soon as the assault started, he heard that familiar sound of three popping fireworks and the struggling from the Corpse had stopped. It fell over and he pushed it off, finding it to be lighter than any other Corpse he had been in contact with. Before he had time to regain himself, he was being ripped from the ground onto his feet.

Ezra's chest was rising and falling rapidly, his eyes wide and dilated as he looked up into the face that had once again, saved his life. Kanan was as stoic as ever, though he was hurriedly looking Ezra over with his eyes. Behind him stood Zeb with his rifle and the girls weren't far behind. Ezra wanted to disappear again, especially now with the tears pricking his eyes and his shoulders trembling with shock. Kanan had two hands on his shoulders, keeping him steady on his feet, and he was actually thankful because he felt like he was about to topple to the ground.

"You ok?" Kanan asked. His hands had removed themselves from Ezra's shoulders and were now running over the kid's arms. Ezra didn't have to be a genius to know he was instinctively checking for bites. That was life out here. You got attacked; you made sure you didn't get bitten.

"Did it bite you?" Kanan went on.

Ezra shook his head, swallowing thickly, "N-No…"

"Wouldn't have mattered if it did," Zeb said, his voice quiet with slight concern. "He's immune, remember?"

"It would've mattered," Kanan mumbled under his breath, stopping his search over Ezra arms with his hands. Ezra felt the pounding in the back of his head from where he hit the pavement and raised his hand to the location. When he pulled it back he saw his fingers stained with red crimson, sparkling in the sunlight.

Ezra grunted when Kanan put a hand on the back of his neck and forced his head forward so that he himself could get a look at the wound. If Ezra had to bet, it was nothing serious. A small split from the impact. Heads always bled the most out of any other wound.

"It's not bad," Kanan said, confirming Ezra's assumption. "Come on, we'll get it cleaned up."

And that was that. The situation was dealt with, and once again Ezra couldn't seem to understand these people. His eyes moved back only an instant, his heart dropping into his stomach when he saw the Corpse. No wonder it had been so light…

It had been a kid.

Ezra didn't get time to ponder on it before the hand on the back of his neck was leading him away from the scene. It was like nothing had happened, Sabine and Hera returning to their work and Zeb sitting on the asphalt. Though, Ezra could see everyone's faces looked paler than they had been before, and Zeb didn't look so annoyed anymore with him, mostly worried.

Kanan brought him up the few steps into the RV and gestured to the bench. Ezra took the seat without argument, allowing a few moments for his heart to calm. He was ok. He was safe. It wasn't like that time he had first gotten bitten. The first time he had dug his nails into a Corpse's flesh with the desperation to survive. The feeling of the teeth biting into his arm and knowing instantly…It was over.

But, it hadn't been. For some God forsaken reason he had been given the ability to survive the hellish disease that had decided to ravish the world. He was the one who lived.

He had survived.

Ezra didn't even notice when Kanan had brought over a small emergency kit and had begun to dab gauze on the back of Ezra's head. He used three before the bleeding stopped completely and neither said anything. That was until Kanan sighed, "Rule number three: don't open doors if you don't know what's behind them."

Ezra frowned. These rules were stupid. Mostly because he never seemed to need them before now, but Kanan talked like he knew everything in the freaking world. Which was annoying to no end. Ezra only flinched slightly when disinfectant was applied. No bandage were put on, but mostly because his hair would have made it impossible to keep one there.

Before Ezra knew it, Kanan was putting away the supplies and something was bothering Ezra in the back of his mind. He stared at the back of Kanan's head before muttering, "Thank you."

Kanan glanced back at the words shrugging his shoulders, "It's not a big deal. We all look out for each other. We take care of each other."

"But, I'm not one of _you_ ," Ezra insisted. "You have no obligation to take care of me."

Kanan turned, leaning against the counter before saying, "Technically we do, for the Alliance."

Ezra felt his shoulders slump, but Kanan continued, "That's not just it, kid. You're my responsibility right now, not just because some kind of cure is floating around in you. It's a moral responsibility. And you may be a pain in the ass, but I have no desire to see you die."

Ezra wrung his hands together, opening his mouth to respond. However, the sound of several gunshots firing off interrupted him and he found himself flying to his feet in an instant. Kanan was stiff as a board, rushing towards the door and pulling out his gun immediately. However, when they both emerged from the RV, neither saw what they expected.

The crew was kneeling, their hands behind their heads and their faces stone cold. Surrounding them were about eight or nine men, one looking entirely too familiar to Ezra. The man from before…The Undesirable from Lothal that had been bothering Sabine. He was grinning darkly at both Ezra and Kanan, his gun pointed directly in Hera's face.

"Now, now, Jarrus," The man ordered. "Drop your gun, or your lady friend bites the bullet."

There wasn't even a slight hesitation. Just a dark glare and slow drop of his weapon. The man smiled sickly at the two, gesturing for two of the men to grab them. Ezra and Kanan were lined up with the others, forced to kneel with their hands behind their heads.

"Isn't this a sight?!" The man exclaimed, walking up the row. "The entire Jarrus crew, ready for the slaughter. My, my, Vizago will be please."

"What do you want?" Kanan growled, his expression deadly.

The man shrugged, stopping in front of Ezra before looking down and ruffling his hair. Ezra narrowed his eyes at him, biting back several curses. Though, in this situation he didn't suppose it would do him a bit of good to be a smart ass.

"It's more about what Vizago wants," The man explained after a pause. "After I reported seeing your little group in Lothal, he ordered us to follow you. We lost track of you all, but those sets of gunshots gave us your location real quick. He wants to hold you for ransom against the Alliance. And if the Alliance doesn't want to pay, we're sure the Empire will have a nice reward for your capture."

Before anyone had the chance to say anything, they found their heads being covered with bags. Ezra's hands were removed from the back of his head to behind his back, duct tape wrapping unforgivingly around his skin. He felt like he was suffocating in the fabric as he was lifted over someone's shoulder and thrown unceremoniously into the back of what he had to guess was a truck.

Ezra knew he wasn't alone, but the panic was still alive within him. Someone was directly in front of him, though he could only hear breathing. Someone behind him was wiggling, but didn't seem to be getting anywhere in their bonds. Winds whipped around them, though the darkness was unnerving. If he had to guess, the little thugs didn't want the Rebels to find out where their base of operation was.

The boy let out a shaky breath, biting down onto his lip.

Things couldn't get much worse.

* * *

It was hours before they stopped.

The wind was so loud most of the ride that communicating was impossible with each other. If Ezra had to guess, they had been driving for a little under two hours. His stomach had become nauseous somewhere in there and he worried about puking in his bag, but it didn't happen, luckily.

They stopped less than gracefully, the brakes slamming so hard Ezra's head slammed into the front of the truck. He was then dragged out by his ankles, the bag being ripped from his head and the sun blinding him with no remorse. When his eyes focused, he found himself in a small encampment that was much less impressive than he thought, though he didn't know what he was expecting.

There were large tents lining the center the camp, a big fire in the middle. It looked like a cheap compound, but he knew by the name he had heard earlier this was no small operation. Vizago was bad news. Everyone knew who he was, and Ezra had heard enough about him to feel the correct amount of fear.

The others had their bags removed and once again they were forced to kneel, this time in the grass. Ezra looked over at Kanan who looked angry at the world as a group of men approached them, one in the middle being the tallest and largest.

Ezra had no doubt in his mind this man was Vizago.

"Ah, Kanan Jarrus," He greeted, clapping his hands together. "I've been watching your crew for some time now. I do hope you remember me."

"Of course, Vizago" Kanan gritted out harshly. "We dealt with you several years ago. Did some work for you."

"Precisely," Vizago hummed, a fake smile on his lips. "And you know what I never got? I never got my share."

"You won't get your share if you kill us," Sabine snapped.

Vizago's hand snapped out so fast the backhand was almost breathless. Sabine's head snapped to the side with a quiet pop, the loudest sound being Zeb's feral growl that swore revenge on the soul that dared harm one of their crewmates. Vizago sighed, "Did I ask for your input, little lady? Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that the only way I'm going to get my pay is if I get word to the Alliance that I have their little scouts in my custody and I want my reward for their safe return."

"Reward," Zeb scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Vizago's eyes moved around the group until they landed on Ezra in particular. The boy felt bile rising in his throat as the man kneeled down in front of him, getting to be eye level with the blue eyed child. Vizago scratched his chin, musing quietly, "But, you. You're new, hm? What's special about you, tiny one. From what I understand, you didn't appear with this group until after their stop in Lothal. My sources tell me you received an ID from that scoundrel Lando, leading me to believe…You were smuggled. So, _why?_ "

Vizago reached out, grabbing Ezra by the chin. But, the contact only lasted a moment before Ezra's impulse kicked in and he bit harshly into the man's hand without really thinking about it. The bite was so hard that he could taste blood running between his teeth with prejudice. Vizago let out a shout, yanking his hand away and immediately punching Ezra hard with his fist across his temple. Following that punch came a kick as Ezra's body went down, then another kick to the stomach. Ezra didn't think the kicks would stop, the pain continuing over and over again.

"Stop!" Kanan shouted, moving forward, only for one of the men to grab his arm. "Stop it, you son of a bitch!"

A few seconds later, Vizago seemed to regain his composure. Ezra coughed weakly in the grass, eyes staring blearily ahead of him as Vizago rubbed his bloodied hand on his pants from his own wound that Ezra had inflicted. The boy could barely see, his vision fading in and out of reality.

He was able to hear a few moments of the conversation as Vizago gave his orders, "Split them. Those three in one tent, the boy and Jarrus in another. They are not to be underestimated."

And Ezra was being moved again…

The pain faded.

* * *

Ezra woke, bleeding into consciousness slowly. Everything was loud and then quiet all at once. Blinking hard, he managed to focus his vision on the wall before him, the wall that wasn't even a wall, but rather the fabric of the side of a tent. He tugged at his wrists weakly, finding them to be bound tightly behind his back and around a wooden post.

Great.

Bloody brilliant.

He heard a slight rustling beside him, causing him to turn his head a bit to see Kanan close by. He too had his wrists tied behind his back with duct tape, his arms wrapped around a separate wooden post. The posts seemed to be the support system for the tent above their head. Honestly, it was one of the biggest tents Ezra had been in.

" _Focus,"_ Ezra ordered himself through his swimming mind.

Ezra croaked in a rough voice, "What are you doing?"

It was louder than he had intended and Kanan stopped what he was doing immediately, turning to look at the child. Ezra was blinking hard and Kanan shushed him, "There's someone standing guard outside of the tent."

Ezra nodded, shutting his mouth as Kanan whispered, "You were stupid for biting Vizago."

"I'm sorry," Ezra's words were slightly slurred, but his mind seemed to be clearing as he shook his head suddenly and went on, "No, you know what? I'm not really sorry. I lied."

Kanan ignored him anyway, explaining, "I've been working on the bindings, but they won't come undone."

Ezra tugged on his own, not really putting too much effort. He knew that if Kanan wasn't capable of getting his off, Ezra definitely wasn't. Ezra's mind drifted to the others as he asked, "Do you think the others are ok?"

"I'm sure," Kanan sighed. "They can take care of themselves. They're very capable."

Ezra wanted to ask if Kanan was saying that to comfort himself or Ezra, but before he could the entrance to the tent flapped open. Two people entered, making Ezra's heart begin to speed up in anticipation. One was Vizago, his face slightly paler than it had been earlier and sweat beading around his forehead. The other was a man Ezra didn't recognize, though in his hand he held a lantern like object and in the other hand he held a metal rod.

That didn't look good.

"Well, good to see you awake," Vizago bit out, glaring harshly at the boy. Ezra refrained from any snarky comments, quite concerned about the man with the metal rod. "How are my guests doing in here?"

"What do you want, Vizago?" Kanan growled, unwilling to play games.

Instead of looking annoyed with Kanan, Vizago looked rather pleased as he hummed, "Straight to the point. That's what I always loved about you, Jarrus. I've actually come with the hope that you could answer my question from earlier."

"What question?" Kanan sounded genuinely confused, though Ezra had a cold feeling in his heart that he knew exactly what question that was.

Vizago grinned a Cheshire smile as he explained, "I want to know the boy's importance. And I'm hoping you can explain it to me before my dear friend here has to get involved. So one of you are going to start talking, or we're going to have a bit of an issue on our hands."

Ezra's mind had cleared enough to feel terror full force now, and he longed for that restless sleep from moments before. He tugged lightly at the bindings with anxiety, biting on his lower lip worriedly.

Kanan was gritting his teeth as he hissed, "Go to Hell, Vizago."

Vizago tsked, though Ezra didn't miss the way his face seemed to be continuing to become paler, "Wrong answer."

He waved a hand at the man beside him. Ezra observed in horror as the man heated the tip of the metal rod in the lantern. Not two seconds later was the end of it being stuck into the flesh of Kanan's thigh, burning through his pants leg. Kanan let out a loud groan, throwing his head back into the wooden beam behind him.

Ezra couldn't speak, his throat clogged with unpronounced fear. He groaned in pain when Vizago grabbed his hair suddenly, forcing his head in his direction. Ezra's eyes watered as Vizago ordered, "Tell me, little boy."

"No," Ezra croaked, and again he heard another shout erupt from Kanan, this time louder.

Vizago shook his head, more sweat forming on his forehead as he insisted, "You're really going to allow your friend here to suffer? Tell me, why are they smuggling you?"

Ezra was forced to turn his head and watch as the rod was reheated and stuck back into Kanan's thigh. Another shout. Ezra cringed, shutting his eyes until his head was yanked again and Vizago's putrid breath filled his face. Vizago shouted, "Tell me!"

Another reheat. Another stick. Another shout.

Another reheat. Another stick. Another shout.

"Don't tell him."

Another reheat. Another stick. Another shout.

"Listen to me, Ezra. Don't tell him."

Another reheat. Another stick. Another shout.

Another reheat. Another stick. Another shout.

" _Alright!"_ Ezra screamed suddenly, dooming the room into silence. "Alright, I'll tell you! Just stop! Stop it!"

The smell of sizzling flesh was all that filled his nose as his eyes continued to burn with unshed tears. Kanan was gasping at this point, but still managed to growl, "Ezra, don't-"

"Shut it!" Vizago ordered. He then looked at Ezra and said, "Go on. Speak."

Ezra bit down on his lip, his shoulders shaking. What he was doing was risking a lot, but he couldn't just sit by and watch the guy who had saved him be tortured. Not for something that was Ezra's fault. It was his fault they were here. The gunshot. The smuggling. It was all his fault. He had to be the one to stop it.

"Look at my sleeve," Ezra ordered Vizago shakily. "Roll it up. Look at my forearm and tell me what that looks like."

Vizago only hesitated a moment before reaching for the arm Ezra had wiggled. The limb was still tied, but Vizago rolled up the sleeve enough to see the scar living on the flesh. Vizago was up in a second, swaying on his feet as he pulled his gun from his holster. He shouted, "What the Hell is that!?"

"A bite," Ezra explained, his mouth quivering. "It's a bite, and I didn't turn. They're taking me to the Alliance to find a cure. I'm infected, but I'm not turning, meaning I'm immune."

Ezra watched as Vizago's worried eyes fell to his hand and he stared. He stared a long moment at the bite that Ezra had given him. Suddenly, Ezra's eyes widened in realization. Vizago was pale. Dark circles were under his eyes. He as sweating profusely…But, he had been fine just hours before…

Oh God…

"You don't feel so good," Ezra whispered quietly in awe.

He then glanced at Kanan who seemed to have come to the same realization…

"Oh my God," Ezra went on. "I infected you…"

Vizago's eyes widened at that final sentence before he raised his gun pointing it at Ezra. The other man had stepped back onto the other side of the tent, obviously wary of both Ezra and now Vizago. Vizago appeared to be going into hysterics as he shouted, "What the Hell is this!? You start explaining! Start explaining before I blow your brains out you mother-"

"Stop!" Kanan interrupted, eyes wide. "You can't shoot him! Ezra is your only chance of getting a cure!"

It was false hope, even if they knew how to cure him; they sure as hell weren't going to help Vizago. But, right now, the craze in the man's eyes was so unnerving that the only way to save Ezra at this point seemed to be to deter him from wanting revenge and rather wanting to live in favor.

It took a few moments for the words to sink in, but slowly Vizago lowered his gun. He looked over at his wary accomplice who seemed to want to get as far away from the infected as possible. Vizago snapped, "Well, don't just stand there! Go contact the comrades in the west!"

The man ran from the tent, Vizago following behind.

Ezra felt his chest begin to heave with relief at the gun being out of his face. He looked over at Kanan who was beginning to tug madly on his restraints. Ezra nearly cried, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," Kanan breathed, eyes landing on the lantern that had been left behind. Hurriedly, he stuck out his foot, pulling the object towards him. He turned his body around the post, pulling the lantern behind him before tugging the lid off and exposing the flame enough for him to begin burning the duct the tape from his wrists.

Ezra watched in amazement as the man broke free and dove for Ezra's hands next. He had them off in seconds, though instead of exiting through the front of the tent, they slipped under the tarp and behind the tent.

They were silent as they slipped behind several tents. Though they didn't know where the rest of the crew was exactly, the two guards standing in front of the ten four tents down was a good indicator. They crouched low, moving through the small walkways where they were exposed with precision. They worked together in a sort of harmony and it seemed completely simple for them to sneak past each of Vizago's men before they slid behind the tent that they desired.

Slipping in the back, Ezra was relieved to see the remaining members of the group alive. Their eyes widened at the sight of the pair and Hera exclaimed in a hushed tone, "What's happening?"

Kanan shook his head, aware of the guards outside of the flap. Ezra untied both Sabine and Zeb while Kanan worked on Hera's restraints. Once they were all free, Kanan said quietly, "No time to explain. We have to go though, Vizago is about to-"

Everyone jumped when the flap opened, the two guards entering. They stopped, almost immediately raising their rifles to fire. However, both Zeb and Sabine moved with precision, both out taking either guard, ripping the rifles from their grips and knocking the backs into their heads. The guards feel motionless and both Sabine and Zeb slung the weapons over their shoulders.

Kanan moved forward, taking a pistol from one's hip. He placed it in his empty holster, causing Hera to see several of the burns on his pants leg. She opened her mouth speak, but didn't get the time to ask what she had planned when the sounds of several footsteps were heard…

And they dove.

They were out the back of the tent in an instant, crawling on the ground and behind several others as bullets ripped through the fabric. Ezra wasn't entirely sure what he was hearing, his drums ringing and the air filling with dirt and smoke from the bounding bullets. He hit his stomach hard on the ground though, feeling Kanan practically drag him as the rest of the group split into different directions.

It was their only chance.

Ezra's mind burned and he continued to crawl, Kanan dragging him through the gunfire. He only saw clear vision when he found himself behind an old truck, just like the ones on the highway, except it was used by the Undesirables. Ezra leaned against the tire, breathing heavily as he tried to catch his breath. He looked over at Kanan who was doing the same as he asked, "You ok, kid? Were you hit?"

Ezra looked himself over. No…He was fine actually, besides the spots of blood from his beating earlier. He nodded hurriedly, coughing through the smoke, "Y-yeah, I'm ok."

That was until he saw the red spot beginning to stain Kanan's shirt…

"But, you're not," Ezra whispered loud enough to be heard over the gunfire.

Kanan looked down, actually looking surprised to see the blood beginning to flow from his abdomen. He blinked several times before shaking his head, "I'm fine. It doesn't even hurt, kid."

"That's freaking shock and adrenaline," Ezra snapped.

"It's fine," Kanan insisted. "I think it missed everything important, so as long as I don't bleed out, I'll be fine."

Ezra pulled his orange hoodie over his head before pressing it over the wound. Kanan only hissed slightly as the pressure was applied and Ezra helped him to his feet. To his surprise, the gunshots were continuing, however, none were flying past them.

"What are they shooting at?" Ezra wondered aloud.

Kanan answered for him, "Vizago's men are shooting at each other. Word must have spread that he's infected and they've split sides."

Kanan then went on, "Come on, we've got to get out of the camp and find the others."

"I don't think so."

Both Ezra and Kanan whirled around, seeing an even sicker looking Vizago. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin pasty white. It almost looked grey now in the sun. He was taking on the early stages of a Corpse. He had a gun pointed at the pair and he snapped, though his voice sounded almost weak, "Into the truck. Now."

There wasn't room for argument. Despite Kanan's gun on his thigh, Ezra was too busy carrying his weight and Kanan was in no condition to fire it. Both climbed into the back seat of the truck behind them, complying with what they were told in favor of not taking another bullet. Ezra could tell Kanan was starting to feel the wound as they settled into the backseat and Vizago took the front, holding his gun tightly in his hand in case they decided they wanted to retaliate.

They peeled out of the camp quickly, though Ezra gave no mind as he continued to try and apply pressure to Kanan's gunshot wound. He too was taking on a pale look from blood loss and fear was beginning to overcome the boy. What was he supposed to do if something happened to Kanan? How would he find the others? They had been blind folded and drove so long to get to the camp…He had no clue where he was at the moment.

Ezra jumped when Vizago snapped some time down the road, "Now tell me boy, how do we get this cure out of you?"

Ezra's mouth was open in shock and he looked at Kanan who was breathing heavily and gripping Ezra's arm. He gave Ezra a warning look before Ezra said, "I-I…Vizago, we don't have the cure _yet_."

"The hell you don't!" Vizago screamed, swerving all over the road. "You did this to me, you little bastard, now you had better fix it!"

Ezra thought a bullet was about to find his face, however, the gun dropped from Vizago's hand suddenly. Vizago had begun to choke, black bile rising out of his mouth and his chest beginning to spasm as he choked on it. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and Ezra barely had time to think before the truck was veering off the side of the road into a deep ravine several feet down…

Ezra felt glass sting into his skin as he rolled about the toppling truck. He curled up, folding his hands over his head and listening to the metal crunch with each somersault. And then, just as soon as his body had begun to jar throughout the experience, everything had fallen silent and the truck had gone still.

Before Ezra had time to process the blood in his mouth and the fact they were now on the roof inside the upside down truck, Kanan was grabbing at his arm hurriedly. The man grabbed Ezra's chin, pulling at him as he asked, "Ezra, look at me. You alright? Look at me, kid."

"I'm ok, I'm fine," It didn't take a genius to hear the shock settling into Ezra's voice as he began to speak unsteadily. "I'm ok. I wanna get out now though. Let's get out."

Kanan felt his heart clench more painfully than the wound in his abdomen. Ezra was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He was trembling and his eyes were wide as Vizago's body lay a few feet away. Kanan nodded and said, "Alright, kiddo. Let's get out."

Ezra's mouth was dripping with blood as Kanan watched him begin to kick at the window beside him. Kanan observed silently, still holding the boy's hoodie to his wound, even through the crash. However, he stopped watching Ezra when he heard a quiet groan from Vizago's body in front of them…

Not the groan of a human…

Kanan didn't even have time to reach for his gun before the creature sprang to life and grabbed at Kanan's ankle. Ezra stopped what he was doing, stupor still apparent on his face from the events. Kanan kicked down, unable to reach at his holster as he struggled to get the Corpse off of his ankle.

He wasn't like Ezra. If he got bit, it was done. The gunshot wouldn't even be a factor anymore.

But, just like when Ezra had been jumped on by that Corpse in the vehicle…The struggle ended as soon as it started.

It took Kanan a moment to realize Ezra was now holding the gun from his holster, the end of the barrel smoking and Vizago's body having gone limp. Ezra's wrist was shaking and his eyes were wide with terror as he slowly lowered the weapon. He looked up at Kanan whose body was stiff and rigid from the struggle just moments before.

Ezra whispered, "C-Can we get out? I'm sorry, I really need to…Get out."

"Yeah," Kanan nodded and Ezra turned his body again, kicking the window once more. This time, the already cracked glass gave way and shattered. Ezra kicked out the remaining shards, climbing through before turning and assisting Kanan in his exit.

Kanan looked around; taking in the fact they were at the bottom of a ravine, the road several feet back up the hill…

His mind swam as he stumbled to full height, but crumbled back down almost immediately.

The last thing he heard was the echo of Ezra's voice telling him to stay awake.

Darkness.


	5. Interlude I

AN: Hello! So, here's our first Interlude. Interludes will be "chapters" that are a bit shorter than the norm and act more as fillers and plot connectors than anything. Because, we all know all books and tv shows have those filler chapters/episodes. Hope you enjoy nonetheless! Please review!

Chapter Five

" _Interlude I"_

When Kanan fell over stiffly, Ezra hadn't the slightest clue what to do.

He felt his chest constrict with fear as the grown man who, from the time he had just met him, had always been standing tall. But, now he was crumbled on the ground, a heap of blood and God knows what else, a Corpse not far away in the overturned truck.

Ezra blinked, dumbstruck by the situation as his body shook. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to handle this. His mind was shutting off, and he couldn't think without feeling like a brick wall was blocking every coherent thought. It was just…here. He was just here. He was standing in front of the guy who was supposed to be protecting him. A guy who was dying.

"Shit," Ezra whispered, running a hand through his hair with a trembling limb. He forced himself to step forward and kneel down, turning Kanan over onto his back. His shirt was now completely stained with crimson, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his mouth agape. Honestly, he looked like a drunk guy who had too many booze. But, no…He was dying from blood loss and Ezra couldn't seem to _focus._

"Ok, ok," Ezra muttered to himself, beginning to look around at the debris that had flown from the back of the truck. His eyes moved up the ravine back to the road at the top. He had to get Kanan up there…Why couldn't he think straight? His mind flashed to Vizago's head snapping back from the bullet, the Corpse he himself had created and he wanted to retch.

"Think," He ordered himself. He continued to take in the objects. A blue tarp, a rope…Ok, that connected well in the fog. He could drag Kanan up the hill…But, first he needed to control the bleeding.

He grabbed his orange hoodie that was already soaked in blood, but pressed it into Kanan's wound anyway. The man made no movement at the action, concerning Ezra all the more. He ripped the bottom of Kanan's shirt, using the fabric to tie the hoodie to the wound and around Kanan's abdomen to keep the pressure tight.

And then his mind began to clear…Just as soon as he felt some control over the situation things start to move in a chain reaction.

He grabbed the blue tarp and rope that had been tossed from the back of the truck. He laid out the blue tarp flatly beside Kanan before dragging the man on top of it. Damn, he was heavy. This was going to suck…

He then proceeded to grab the rope and tie it into the two black holes on the edges of the tarp. Tugging several times, Ezra tested their strength and then proceeded to tie the bottom of the tarp, to stop Kanan from sliding off while going up the ravine.

Now for the hard part.

The climb started slow, the rope tied around Ezra's waste and the tarp sliding lazily behind him. Luckily, there weren't any jagged rocks, but instead a steep incline of dirt that would make it less likely for the tarp to rip in the process of getting up.

Ezra pushed, digging his nails into the mud as he pressed his feet into the soil as well. He glanced back every time he did this; just to be sure his companion was still safely on the tarp and out of danger of falling back into the ravine. He was heavy, and Ezra wanted screamed along with his arms as he lugged him up the hill, but adrenaline was still pumping through his ears, making him confident enough that the feat was possible.

His foot only slipped once and after that he took extra care to make sure each step was steady. It felt like hours before he felt the pavement below his hands and he was dragging Kanan up the side and onto the road.

He had done it.

God…

He had actually managed it.

Ezra stopped, looking both ways on the road and unsure of which way he wanted to begin dragging Kanan. He knew after all, that they couldn't stay where they were. They were too vulnerable and he had to find help for Kanan. He was going to bleed to death without medical attention…

Left it was.

He could hear the tarp dragging behind him, his eyes blinking as he remembered the gunshot…

He missed Lothal.

* * *

Ezra had stopped looking at road signs a long time ago.

Honestly, He didn't know what half of them said. He could read some words, sound them out if he really had to. But, right now he wasn't in the mood to stare at the signs and contemplate the meaning behind the jumbled letters. Learning to read wasn't important on the streets, so he only knew the words his mother had taught him before well…

Anyway, he hadn't a clue where they were going.

His body ached though, and sharp pains were moving up and down his spine as he continued to drag Kanan with the rope. He knew his destination was the building in the distance. Hopefully, there would be something there that could help them in the haze of the sky. He just hoped it wasn't occupied.

What he could sound out from the giant sign was…

D-I-E-S-E-L

Even when Ezra tried to sound it out he couldn't get the word to make a good enough meaning in his head. He couldn't connect it to anything.

He did know what the gas pumps were. He would see the Empire using them sometimes when filling their vehicles. That was Gasoline. So whatever the hell Diesel was, he didn't care. If he couldn't read it, it didn't matter.

When they approached, Ezra was surprised to see only one window was broken and the small building with two pumps appeared to be abandoned. He dragged Kanan inside, the door chiming when he opened it and entered. Shelves were ransacked, turned over, and generally crappy. The floor was littered with left behind candy bars and bottles of drinks that had long expired. Ezra wondered how scavengers hadn't picked them up already, but generally speaking they were on a back road. Surely the main road would have been emptied had it been placed there.

Ezra pulled Kanan behind the second shelf, giving them some cover from the windows just in case. He grabbed Kanan's arms and heaved him into a sitting position against the shelf, actually causing the man to show the first sign of life in the past thirty minute walk.

Kanan groaned, eyes squeezing slightly at the movement. Ezra sighed in relief when they squinted open slightly, actually looking a bit coherent. Still, they were unfocused and Kanan slurred out, "Where-?"

"Gas station I think," Ezra said, mind drifting slightly. "But, there's a weird word out there. Don't worry about it, it's impossible to pronounce."

This made Kanan look even more perplexed, but he shook his head nonetheless. His hand moved to the hoodie that was red with blood and tied around his waist with the hem of his shirt. He hummed tiredly, his head lulling slightly as he ordered, "Look around for a few things, k kid? Emergency kit, lighter, and something with a metal tip."

Ezra didn't seem to understand what all of the objects were for, but he nodded hurriedly, running to the front of the store where the cash register was torn open and no cash was to be seen. Funny that lighters were still sitting happily beside the empty cigarette cases. So people stole cash and cigarettes, but left the lighters?

People had their priorities screwed up, mounting on greed and addiction.

Ezra grabbed one and moved behind the counter, scanning. He started digging through the drawers before stopping in one. Bingo, an emergency kit.

J-O-H-N-S-O-N & J-O-H-N-S-O-N

He recognized the words from other kits he had found before. Opening it, he found several gauze and sticky bandages, along with butterfly stitches and a small bottle of rubbing alcohol.

Two out of three found, now for something metal.

He stood still a few seconds, looking around him. Lying beside an open cardboard box was a box cutter. Ezra scooped it up, rushing back to Kanan who looked a bit more focused now, his head no longer lopping to the side and his eyes a bit more steady. Ezra set down the things and asked quietly, "Ok, what now?"

"Ok," Kanan said, breathing heavily as he began to remove the hoodie from the wound. "You're going to have to cauterize it. It's still bleeding a little and probably won't stop until you do it. Then clean it and bandage it up."

"W-what about the bullet?" Ezra asked. "There's no exit wound."

Kanan shook his head, "It'll do more damage taking it out than leaving it in, trust me. The bullet more than likely didn't hit anything important, or else I would be dead already. The blood loss is the worry here."

The man then pointed to the box cutter and said, "Clean it with the alcohol right there and then heat it up with the lighter. Then I want you to press it into my wound."

Ezra's eyes widened and Kanan grunted, grabbing Ezra's arm weakly, "Listen, you keep it there, even if I scream, ok?"

Ezra licked his lips, his throat suddenly very dry as he replied, "O-ok."

The boy then picked up the box cutter and the bottle of alcohol, pouring it on the tip of the blade. Kanan lifted his blood soaked shirt to expose the wound that was still trailing small lines of blood. Ezra then proceeded to light the lighter, holding the box cutter on the flame for several seconds.

His eyes met Kanan's and Kanan only nodded…

Then he brought it down.

Kanan's shout wasn't much of a shout at all, but more of a loud groan, causing Ezra to be painfully aware of the fact that this probably wasn't the first time Kanan had felt this kind of pain. He didn't know why that saddened him…But, it did and he felt guilt begin to creep into his gut as he waited several moments before removing the metal away from the scorched flesh.

Ezra set it aside, apologizing, "Sorry, sorry, sorry."

Instead of waiting, Ezra immediately poured alcohol over the wound, causing Kanan to bite down on his own hand to keep the shout muffled from the stinging of the liquid. Ezra's hands were trembling as he refused to look at Kanan's scrunched up face.

"I'm sorry," Ezra said again, wiping the alcohol and blood away and applying the butterfly stiches. "I-I…"

"It's ok," Kanan's voice was hoarse and weak, but he shook his head back and forth before patting Ezra on the head, almost like a dog, "You did good, kid."

Ezra swallowed thickly, putting the sticky bandage over the wound. His fingers were kissed with blood and he felt sick from the smell of it. Kanan's eyes were beginning to droop as Ezra put the things back into the kit. He reached into Kanan's holster, pulling out the gun he had used earlier…

"Go to sleep," Ezra ordered, sounding more adult than necessary.

Kanan didn't have to be told twice before his eyes were shutting lightly. He was asleep so fast he didn't even hear Ezra say quietly…

"I'll look out for you."

* * *

Ezra wasn't sure how much time had passed.

It had to have been several hours if the stiffness in his body was any indication. He sat holding the gun close, staring ahead blankly as he let himself go over and over again with thoughts of what the others were doing. He imagined them safely in the RV, searching madly for him and Kanan and getting closer to locating them.

But, that was wishful thinking.

It felt hopeless really, the pit in his stomach. He couldn't shake the worry that had befallen him. He didn't have a clue where himself and Kanan were and even if he did, he wouldn't be able to move the man enough to get him to where they needed to be. He felt exposed, he felt helpless, which was something he hadn't felt since that day, back when his parents had gone away. Now he felt that old abyss returning and wanting to eat him alive and skin him to the bone.

Ezra gripped his nails into his arm, sucking in a sharp intake of breath. His chest was beginning to tremble and his vision blurred with hot tears. Ezra bit down hard on his lip, trying not to let the emotion spill over, trying not to let it flood out in one swift motion. He had held it in so long…He had done so well. He hadn't cried in forever…Forever and a day and yet here he was, about to have a mental breakdown. And he knew if he started to let it out it would never stop. It would be a faucet.

He would drown.

His chest quaked, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Kanan's voice ask weakly, "You ok, kid?"

Ezra immediately dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, wiping the tears away. He turned his head, hoping they weren't bloodshot as he made eye contact with the elder. Kanan's face was pale and his voice sounded like fire. Ezra nodded his head hurriedly, "I'm fine. You thirsty?"

Kanan paused a moment, obviously contemplating on pushing his question further before he nodded. Ezra reached over to a small pile of water he had found earlier and opened one bottle, handing it to the man. Kanan seemed to have enough strength to bring the water to his lips and gulp, which was a good sign.

When Kanan finished, he set down the bottle and Ezra recapped it. The man asked, "Any sign of the others?"

Ezra solemnly shook his head, "No…I've been waiting, but I haven't heard or seen anything. I don't even know where we are."

Kanan only nodded and Ezra chewed on his lower lip. It was getting raw. His shoulders were shaking and he hadn't notice that until now, with Kanan's eyes studying him like a bug under a lamp. The boy wanted to torch himself. To go up in flames and to never have existed.

He ground out the words softly…

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Kanan's eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head slowly, "Don't worry about it, kid. I'll be fine. Trust me; you should have met me when Hera found me in that bar years ago. I was a lot more hopeless looking than this."

Ezra wanted to scream that Kanan couldn't promise he would be fine, but it felt out of place. He had only just met this guy, but…He was Ezra's friend. The closet thing he had to a friend in a long time.

Ezra curled up against the shelf beside them, eyes blinking hard. Thoughts were moving too quickly for him to process and suddenly he was remembering Vizago and the changing. His hands shook as he looked up through his bangs to make timid eye contact with Kanan. Kanan was obviously trying to keep his eyes focused, but blood loss was still playing heavily.

The boy swallowed, "I turned that guy…That's…insane."

He couldn't find the will to feel guilty, but more so terrified. Terrified of the blood and the disease pumping through his veins. If he could do that…What the Corpses did, how human was he really? It didn't seem he was at all.

Kanan seemed uncomfortable about the statement, but Ezra could see him fighting it down. His shoulders stiffened, then relaxed, and it appeared Kanan was trying to make it not seem like a big deal. But, that was the problem. It _was_ a big deal. And avoiding it and waving it off wasn't going to make it any less of a big deal.

But, Kanan did exactly what Ezra thought he was going to do, he changed the subject.

"Where are your parents, Ezra?"

Ezra's heart constricted. That was probably a worse subject than him turning Vizago into a Corpse. His fingers weaved together and he looked down, tilting his head. His mouth set into a thin line and Kanan sighed at the action, "Listen kid…We're going to be spending a lot of time with each other, so you mine as well get used to telling me this stuff."

"Aren't you the one who told me not to trust blindly?" Ezra inquired.

Kanan rolled his eyes, "Now you listen."

Ezra was quick to use the lapse in order to turn the situation around onto Kanan, "I should be asking why Lando said you almost got kicked out of the Alliance."

The man looked less than surprised by the question and Ezra was a little disappointed to be honest. If he was going to talk about his parents, he wanted to ask something equally out of the blue. But, no. Kanan looked as stoic as ever and shrugged simply, "Fine, but only if you promise to tell me about your parents afterward. Who they were. The whole shebang."

Ezra was hesitant, but curiosity got the better of him. He nodded in agreement, and Kanan sighed deeply, obviously getting ready for the story. His throat was dry as he explained, "I killed a spy for the Alliance and injured another one."

Ezra's eyes widened at the sudden reveal, but Kanan held up a hand, "I'm not going to say it wasn't my fault, but a lot of it had to, once again, do with Fulcrum's lack of information. Those two guys…They were there the day the Empire executed my adoptive mother. Just…There. They were supposedly in deep cover for the Alliance, but screw that. If they saw a kid screaming for his mother not to be murdered and did nothing, then they're just as bad as the Empire."

The boy swallowed and Kanan cleared his throat to regain composure, "I showed up to meet Fulcrum after Hera recruited me, and there they were, seven years later, standing with Fulcrum. And I shot them. I didn't even flinch. I didn't think. I just snapped and there they were."

Kanan rolled his shoulder looking into Ezra's eyes as he went on, "I had no real reason to shoot those guys, I guess, but I'm not sorry."

There was silence as Ezra weighed the new information. When Kanan figured Ezra wasn't going to say anything he pushed, "Your turn."

Ezra's eyes shifted several seconds before he nodded and croaked, "When I was seven, the Empire came to my house and got my parents…Took them. I didn't see them for days and days, but I didn't leave the house. That was…Until I heard on the radio that two traitors were going to be burned at the stake in Lothal's Square…That they were being made an example of. A-and I couldn't shake this feeling, so I-I went and it was them…T-they…"

Ezra's voice died off and he shut his eyes, hearing Kanan's voice say quietly, "It's ok. You don't have to finish."

He opened his eyes and looked into Kanan's, seeing sorrow and understanding. And Ezra knew…If Kanan's adoptive mother had been murdered in front of him…He knew he felt the same. He knew he understood. The empathy was something Ezra hadn't felt. Ever.

"Their names were Mira and Ephraim Bridger."

Kanan's eyes widened and Ezra felt startled by the recognition that sparked in the man's eyes. Ezra moved hurriedly, leaning forward to ask, "Did you know them?"

Kanan paused before he said, "I've heard _of_ them. Ezra…Your parents were very brave. And they would be proud of you…Proud of you for coming this far."

He winced suddenly, grabbing his abdomen. Ezra wanted to ask more questions, but he knew that if he kept Kanan awake too long, he was never going to heal up enough for them to move. Ezra said, "It's ok…You can rest."

"I'll ask later."

* * *

Ezra soon found himself pacing the aisles of the store.

He had found a green bag with arrows in the shape of a triangle going around it. He didn't know what it meant, but he had been using the bag to put supplies in for the past few hours. The windows were bleeding red with the evening sky and he wanted to get as much supplies as he could. Not that they were moving anytime soon, but that was just it. Until Kanan was better…If he got better…They were going to need things to keep themselves fed.

He felt himself numbing over, worry beginning to fade into coldness, just as the grief for his parents had. It had been overbearing at first. So much that he didn't even get out of bed to eat for several days. But, then it numbed out and survival overtook the emotion. His body overcame his heart and he was scavenging for food to survive, his vow to die with his parents forgotten.

Sometimes he wished he would have been strong enough _not_ to have gotten out of bed.

Ezra paused from his thoughts suddenly when he heard the unmistakable sound of an engine. However, it wasn't the engine of the Ghost, more so the engine of a military vehicle. Ezra immediately moved to the counter, chunking the supplies he had gathered behind it before running to where he had Kanan propped against the shelf.

He shook Kanan's shoulder, saying, "Kanan, come on, wake up…Someone's coming."

The sound of the engine was greatly approaching and Ezra noticed Kanan wasn't responding. He checked the man's pulse, finding it to be beating…But, he wasn't waking up. Ezra groaned loudly, hurriedly turning Kanan onto his back and mustering as much energy as he could into dragging the man across the tile floor towards the back of the counter. Kanan wasn't big by any means, but he was tall, which put a lot of weight on him.

It took Ezra several moments to maneuver Kanan behind the protection of the counter, shoving what he could of the man's body into a small nook. Ezra then yanked Kanan's gun from its holster and ran back, gathering up what was left of their supplies before stashing it. Ezra barely caught a glimpse of a military vehicle pulling into the parking lot before he was diving back behind the counter, pressing himself into the nook with Kanan.

Ezra's heart raced, his fingers shaking as he held the pistol close to him. His eyes found a small crack in the counter, able to make out two figures. One he had never seen before…A tall bald man with pale skin that almost appeared to be grey like a ghost…And another man…

The agent that had searched their RV…Had Kallus been his name?

Ezra watched with wide eyes as the two stepped over broken glass and silently scanned the room with their eyes. The silence was overwhelming as all Ezra could hear was the beating of his heart in his chest.

Agent Kallus was the first to speak, humming, "For one of the Empire's top Inquisitors, you don't seem to have a clue where we're going."

The other man…Inquisitor? He had begun to pace the aisles before replying, "Have patience. It has only been twelve hours since our search began. You heard Vader; the airways began to speak of Vizago's demise and the rumor of the _immune_ child only recently surfaced. We're not truly looking for anything; it could all be just that. A rumor."

"So you don't believe it?" Kallus questioned, eyebrows rising.

"I have my doubts, things get scrambled over radio," The Inquisitor shrugged. "My theory is Vizago was simply bitten and a panic broke out."

Ezra nearly flinched when Kallus replied fiercely, "But you saw his body in that ravine back there. That wasn't an ordinary bite. It didn't look like whatever bit him was hungry at all, just snapped and let go. Corpses don't do that, my friend. And then he was shot in the head, so someone else had to have been there."

The Inquisitor shook his head, looking as if he were speaking to an annoying child, "No matter. We will find these rebels and put those rumors to bed."

The Inquisitor then paused his stride in front of the counter, causing Ezra to grip the gun with one shaking hand and Kanan's unconscious form with the other. However, to his surprise, the Inquisitor simply moved towards the door, Kallus following shortly after.

Only when he heard the truck start and move on did he dare to let out a breath of relief. Ezra's grip went lax and he found the store becoming enveloped into darkness as the sun sank behind the horizon. Ezra turned onto his side, still holding the gun as he did so and he pressed his back into Kanan's side.

Blue eyes fluttered closed and Ezra slept a restless sleep, exhaustion not giving him the energy to worry about the rumor of his existence…His heart was tearing into pieces with terror and he just wanted sleep.

He dreamed of his parents going up in smoke.


	6. Nibs

**AN:** I just wanted to start by apologizing about how I haven't updated Lunatics in a long time. You know when you just can't bring yourself to write something? I don't know what the issue is, and I swear I'm gonna write that last dang chapter eventually, but right now I just am not feeling it. This story however I am feeling. I just don't think Lunatics is my best work, so that's more than likely why I'm procrastinating. Anyway, here's chapter six! A forewarning, some parts are a little graphic. I tried to make them quick as not to be disturbing since this is only rated T after all. Oh and the F bomb gets dropped once. Enjoy!

 **Also** , you're recognize one part as being from the Last of Us. Yet another scene that I really, really wanted to include because it was honestly one of my faves.

Chapter Six

 _"Nibs"_

At some point you stop counting the days.

It's natural really, when every day is the same and routines become routine. For Ezra, he had lost track for what felt like forever ago, when really it wasn't. It hadn't been very long at all, but Kanan was beginning to recover better than expected. Before Ezra knew it, the man was coherent again and could carry on conversations.

It was relieving in all honesty, because it meant Ezra wasn't going to be left alone.

Not that he needed anyone…But, then again maybe he did. He'd never admit that though, with the anxiety of showing weakness too heavy on his shoulders. However, he knew in the back of his head he had no chance of finding the crew or the resistance without Kanan's help, so seeing him getting better was…good.

Today, today was different though.

Fire enveloped Ezra's lungs and flames fell upon the sky. The sun melted into smoke and the vibrant rays felt like searing acid on his skin. His lungs constricted, the skin on his parents' flesh sliding off in the orange and red.

They were swallowed up, like the trees that one summer in the mountains. Pulled down into the earth and their bodies never having existed in the first place, because where were they now? Eaten up in the nothingness that was fire and the nothingness that was their existence. The people watched, but they ignored Ezra's cries for someone, _anyone,_ to cut his parents down from the ropes that held them over their death.

And then he was no longer screaming, yanked from the vision and pulled into a sitting position.

Ezra gasped, his eyes snapping open as he felt pressure in his arms, someone pulling him up. His blue eyes were hazy until they focused, someone's voice shushing his shouts until he was only sobbing quietly, trying to recover.

There was nothing to recover though. His pride was gone in that instance, his nightmare taking that last bit of himself that he had. Ezra's chest quaked with a million shakes, mind racing and fear leading to his death.

"You're ok, kid," Ezra came to the conclusion it was Kanan holding him in a sitting position. When his vision focused, Kanan's eyes were staring at him patiently, waiting for him to come back to the real world that was not the terrors of his sleep.

Ezra stared back silently, taking in the world before him. It wasn't weird that Kanan was up, but it was slightly strange to find him fully dressed and their objects packed into two backpacks they had found within the gas station in their time here. Kanan wasn't so pale anymore, and he looked the most coherent Ezra had seen him in the past few weeks.

The boy's hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat and his shoulders shook. He swallowed thickly, gently tugging his arms from Kanan's hold so that he could collect what was left of his pride that had just shattered. Kanan sighed deeply, obviously observing the way Ezra was shutting down right before his eyes, going from being so open with terror and then blocking it out again before Kanan even had a moment to question if he was going to be alright.

A kid shouldn't refuse comfort so willingly.

"I-I'm sorry," Ezra stuttered, pushing his bangs from his face as he looked around again and continued to study the bags. He then looked back at Kanan and said, "Are you ok? You shouldn't be moving so much-"

"Calm down," Kanan actually grinned slightly at the concern. "I've been feeling a lot better these past few days, you know that."

Ezra tilted his head and questioned, "So why is everything packed?"

"Well, like I said, I've been feeling better," Kanan shrugged, standing and pulling one of the bags onto his shoulder. "You didn't expect us to stay here forever, did you? I think I've got a pretty good idea where we are, which isn't that great. If the others went back to the RV, they've probably already been there a few days. It would be a weeks walk from here, but I know someone who has a community not far. He can get us a radio and the Ghost can pick us up."

Ezra bit his lip, "And if they didn't make it back to the Ghost?"

Kanan paused a moment as if contemplating it, but soon he shook his head and grunted, "They made it, kid. Trust me. I know these guys. This isn't the first time we've gotten separated."

Ezra nodded, his bones moving stiffly as he stood, grabbing one of the bags and slinging it over his own shoulder. He looked up at Kanan who was watching intently, something prodding in his face. Ezra set his mouth in a line and said, "What?"

"Nothing," Kanan sighed. "Just was making sure you're ok. That was a nasty nightmare."

Ezra looked away, his face burning with shame. He snapped, "Well, it's fine. I don't remember it."

"Kid, you don't just forget a nightmare like that."

"Can we just go?" Ezra huffed, beginning to walk towards the door himself. He heard a deep sigh escape the man before he began to follow, the sound of his feet on the tile floor meddling in his ears.

As they began to leave the parking lot, he heard Kanan call from behind him, "So you said those guys rode in a military vehicle?"

"What, you mean the Imperials?" Ezra replied, relieved the subject had changed. "Yeah, the Agent guy from Lothal was there and I didn't recognize the other one."

"And you're sure they said something about you being immune?" Kanan sounded slightly hopeful that Ezra had maybe misheard, but Ezra only rolled his eyes.

"Not me specifically, but yeah, they said there was a rumor about an immune child," Ezra swallowed. "And considering how many kids survive outside of compounds, it won't be hard for them to know that I'm the crazy kid that infected Vizago."

"That's not what happened-"

"Be quiet," Ezra groaned loudly, looking up at the sky as he let the sun pierce his face. He continued to walk and listen to Kanan's steps behind him as he went on, "I know what happened. I did that, I'm a Corpse."

Ezra yelped when Kanan grabbed his backpack and yanked him back so hard he stumbled on his own feet. Ezra looked up to see Kanan staring at him fiercely, frustration apparent in the man's eyes.

"You're not a Corpse," Kanan insisted. "You're a kid...A kid that shouldn't be in this situation."

Ezra shrugged off the man's grip, "Well, I am in this situation. Look at me Kanan, look at yourself. It's my fault you got shot, if you guy's hadn't been assigned to look out for me-"

"We didn't have to take the assignment," Kanan pressed. "But, we did because we wanted to. Stop with the self-loathing. It's a destructive habit, trust me on that."

"I-I _do_ trust you," Ezra groaned, stepping back. He held out his hands and then looked at them as if they were about to explode, "It's _me_ I don't trust. What if I mess up and infect one of you? What then? What parts of me infect people? Just my saliva, or is it my blood too? Can I just scratch someone and turn them?"

Kanan snapped a hand out and grabbed Ezra's wrist. He wasn't one to comfort people, he wasn't good at it. Hera was typically the only one he even remotely knew how to calm when she got distressed. Ezra's wrist was trembling below his hands and his mind racked for methods and words on how to relieve the child's terror of his own self.

"You're not going to turn us just by _touching_ one of us, Ezra," Kanan insisted, tightening his grip on Ezra's limb. "The Alliance will answer your questions when we get there, but for now there's no way we're going to survive if you're afraid of yourself."

Ezra looked shell-shocked as Kanan released his wrist and continued, "You saved my life. I would've bled to death in that ravine had it not been for you, so stop looking at yourself as a Corpse. Corpses don't save people."

The boy swallowed thickly before nodding his head in acceptance. Even though Kanan could see the boy didn't one-hundred percent trust himself, he knew the kid was coming to terms with what had happened through his words. But, without the reassurance from a doctor that Ezra wasn't going to turn his fellow travelers...There was no way this fear was going to subside.

Without any more words on the subject, they began to walk in a comfortable silence. Every once and a while, Kanan would look over and observe the child's behavior. It was weird...Weeks ago he didn't trust him in the slightest, saw him as a time bomb waiting to go off, but now...He didn't know what he saw him as. He was kid...That was bluntly obvious, and kids didn't deserve to have this kind of pressure on their shoulders. So why had the universe decided that this kid would be the one to carry the weight of humanity? Some little boy from Lothal that appeared to share Kanan's tragic past with the Empire of parents being murdered before their eyes.

It was rather frightening, but the thought of anything happening to the kid terrified him.

Not because the kid was his responsibility now or that Ezra was the cure of all things good. It was because the kid had saved him. Because the kid hadn't run. Because the kid hadn't asked for any of this and was just overall having the entire world breathe down his neck. And Kanan hated that...The kid deserved better. He deserved to be treated like a person by the Alliance, not like some kind of experiment.

Kanan didn't know how much he liked the idea of bringing Ezra to the Alliance anymore and turning him over to Fulcrum.

Because screw her. He and Ezra had gotten this far with their crew by their side, not her.

About an hour into the walk was when they heard the shouting...

They had approached a tunnel bridge with several discarded vehicles surrounding the small road that was wrapped in forest. The leaves were green and shining, almost peacefully until a woman's scream ripped through the air, followed by the malicious laughter of several men. Kanan crouched immediately, dragging Ezra down with him as they ducked behind a red car.

Kanan moved in front of the boy towards the hood of the car, pulling his pistol from his holster. When Ezra attempted to follow to peer around at the scene as well, he held out a hand to stop him, then continued to look himself.

A man and a woman were laying on the ground. The man appeared to be limp while the woman was wide awake, screaming at the top of her lungs as she was kicked repeatedly. At least eight men stood around them, all of their faces lit up with cruel excitement. Blood was pooling from the woman's ears and face as she begged them to stop.

One of the men cackled, "You stupid bitch, I don't know what made you and your boy here think you could cross into our territory!"

"Please!" She choked out past the blood that was no doubt filling her lungs. "We were just trying to get by-"

"I don't care what you were trying to do, this is our land! Don't you think we should at least have a little fun since you've caused us such an inconvenience?"

Kanan looked back at Ezra who was staring at him with wide eyes, obviously able to hear the conversation that was unfolding. The boy hissed in a low tone, "Kanan, we've got to do something."

Kanan gripped his pistol, the thought having sprung on him but...There were eight other men, all of them armed from what he could see. Then there was just him and Ezra, and Ezra didn't even have a weapon. His pistol only had six bullets left. Six bullets, eight men, two against. It wasn't good odds, and Kanan wasn't willing to risk not being able to protect Ezra.

"We can't," Kanan said, and Ezra's eyes widened, nearly falling out of his head. Kanan went on, "I only have six bullets. What do you expect us to do?"

"Not let them _die_ ," Ezra hissed coldly, causing Kanan to become slightly frustrated with the accusation in his tone. Surely the boy didn't find them to be cowardly in their actions in order to keep themselves alive. There was cowardice and then there was self-preservation. And right now Ezra was too important to be risking.

When Kanan opened his mouth to snap at the boy, he suddenly found that Ezra was being yanked to his feet. Kanan stood immediately, pointing his gun at the figure that had a gun pointed at Ezra's temple. It was a ninth man, a cruel smirk on his face, his teeth rotting out of his mouth. Ezra squirmed against the hand around his chest, though he didn't move much for the threat of the gun.

"Well, well, well," The man chuckled, though he didn't call the attention of the other eight men. "Looks like those two weren't alone, huh? You guys traveling in a pack or something?"

"Let him go," Kanan said, his voice icily calm. Ezra's eyes were wide again, this time in panic though rather than surprise. Kanan had gone so rigid that the pull from his gunshot wound was rightfully painful. If they had to run, he wasn't positive he could do it, but he was damn willing to try if he could get the gun away from Ezra's skull.

The man tsked, "Now, I don't think you're in any position to be giving orders. Why don't you drop your weapon and I won't blow this pretty boy's brains out?"

Kanan swallowed so harshly it was audible. He weighed the chances. Risk missing the guy and accidentally shoot Ezra or drop his weapon and screw them all over. Either way was a loss, and his mind didn't seem to be as clinical as it usually would be...

He just wanted the damn gun away from the kid's head.

Before Kanan could make a decision however, Ezra was flinging his head back, smashing it into the man's nose. The gun moved to the side, firing into the car window beside them, shattering it with a loud cash. The man groaned, grabbing at his nose that had already begun to gush blood. However, Kanan was firing a bullet into his chest before he could even process where the source of the pain was.

Ezra fell to the ground with a thud, looking up in terror as the sound of the other men came running towards them. Before Ezra even had time to process the ringing in his ears, he was being yanked to his feet and dragged towards the woods.

Ezra ran, his lungs burning as Kanan held onto his backpack and pulled him along. All he could imagine was the pain Kanan must be feeling from his wound at this very moment, but that thought soon passed to focusing on jumping over sticks and roots, ignoring and shouts of the men chasing them for the murder of their 'friend'.

He could hardly put it into perspective, the amount of fear he felt and how fast he was running as adrenaline soared through his blood. He gasped as he ran, trying to think of anything other than the terror in his bones.

And they came to a creek.

Things couldn't get much worse.

Before Ezra could speak, Kanan was dragging him into the wide expansion of brown water. It was no small creek at all, and in fact the water was moving rather swiftly. Ezra pulled at Kanan's wrist before the water could go past his waist.

The boy shouted, "I can't swim!"

Kanan looked back at him dumbfounded before looking over his shoulder and obviously seeing the men approaching. He grabbed Ezra's arm roughly before shaking it and growling, "You don't let go of me, understand?"

Ezra nodded rapidly before wrapping his arms around Kanan's own arm and allowing the man to submerge them under water. They slid with the current, rocks slicing into Ezra's back as he held his breath. His lungs wanted to burst, his eyes opening just long enough to see the brown water and bubbles spinning around them. He felt like he was in a washing machine, though his grip didn't falter on Kanan.

He knew if he let go he was going to die.

For only a moment did he worry about how useless he seemed to be. Couldn't swim. Couldn't read. But, in Lothal, water wasn't exactly around. Not deep water anyway. Everything was up to your knees or lower, even the sewers. So it kind of pissed him off he had ended up in so many situations where he was practically dead weight.

Those thoughts drifted when his mind started to fog due to lack of oxygen.

He saw his mom and dad, standing there in the living room with worried expressions. Telling him to hide in the closet when there was a loud beating on the door. His mother crying as they were handcuffed.

Their faces melting when their pained screams had stopped.

But, Ezra's continued.

Right when he thought he would open his mouth to inhale water, he broke the surface and gasped in the largest breath he could imagine. He choked, then regained himself, blinking and flinging his arms wildly, realizing he was still moving in the current and Kanan's arm was no longer in his grasp. However, he felt an arm wrap around his waste and heave him up towards shallow water until his feet could hit the rocks.

Both he and Kanan stumbled onto shore, collapsing as they did so. They had drifted quite far down the creek, and Ezra could no longer hear the sounds of the men shouting or following them. Though, he couldn't hear much of anything with water filling his ears. He continued to cough, holding his chest tightly as he did so.

That had been terrible.

Ezra looked over at Kanan who was lying on his back, soaked to the bone. He was staring up at the sky, breathing heavily as he did so. Ezra bite down on his lip and croaked, "Are you ok?"

"'m fine, kid," Kanan hummed, though Ezra could see him holding where his gunshot wound had been. Ezra pulled his backpack off, opening it to pull out the ziplock bag in which they had emptied the contents of their emergency kit. Luckily, the things inside were dry and Ezra moved over towards the man.

"Here," Ezra said, offering the supplies. "Your bandage is probably soaked. It'll have to be changed."

Kanan sat up slowly, like an old man with creaky bones. He took the items gratefully, pulling up his shirt to, sure enough, reveal a soaked bandage that was barely holding on for dear life. Kanan yanked it off, showing his wound that was scabbing over, but not nearly healed.

Ezra watched Kanan pour the alcohol on it, flinching for the man as he knew it had to sting. He then proceeded to stick a new bandage over it, effectively covering it from the germs of the world. Ezra coughed again, his lungs still aching as he returned the items to his bag.

Kanan sighed, "So you can't swim, hm?"

Ezra paused a moment, before rolling his shoulders in a nonchalant manner, "No, Lothal doesn't have any water. You saw."

"I know, I just kind of assume people know how," Kanan sighed. "I don't know why, I guess 'cause I learned when I was like...four."

"Well, I can't," Ezra snapped, sounding rather offended as he stood, throwing his bag onto his back.

Kanan's eyebrows shot up and he stood as well, a bit more slowly. He called, "Kid, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings-"

"My feelings aren't hurt," Ezra insisted, turning quickly. "I just...You think I'm stupid, 'cause I can't swim or read, and I get it, but Lothal wasn't the best place to learn these things-"

"I don't think you're stupid," Kanan said, his face slightly shocked. "Listen...You managed to pull me out of a ravine using a tarp and some rope. You're a lot of things, kid, but stupid isn't one of them."

Ezra was silent a long moment, rubbing his aching chest. He sighed deeply before mumbling, "Let's just...Find this friend of yours."

Kanan grimaced, but nodded anyway as the two moved away from the creek and towards the woods. There was a lot about Ezra that Kanan couldn't seem to understand, and likewise. Ezra didn't think Kanan was telling the truth about his stupidity, but Ezra wasn't about to insist anything. In fact, it comforted him, even if the words weren't honest.

He missed Hera. It always felt like she was telling the truth and maybe if she had told him that he would believe it.

In fact, he missed all of the others, even if he had just met them, but Hera most of all. She was so much like his mother...So much it made him hurt on the inside. Which most would find as a deter from wanting to be around her, but not to him. It was a good kind of hurt. It was nostalgic. It was like being rocked to sleep.

Ezra glanced at Kanan who was walking and messing with his gun at the same time. Even though Ezra _trusted_ Kanan it wasn't the same as being comfortable around him. Especially after Ezra had wanted to help those people and Kanan had refused. Ezra knew it had been illogical, but still...Kanan hadn't even faltered, even when hearing that woman scream.

Not that Ezra could blame him, Kanan had obviously seen some shit.

"Stop feeling guilty," Kanan's voice said suddenly, causing Ezra to jump.

Ezra looked at him in shock, feeling a bit frightened that maybe Kanan could read his mind. The man had put his gun in its holster and now was holding the straps of his backpack as he stared at Ezra. The boy blinked, opening and closing his mouth before saying, "We should have helped them."

"We couldn't," Kanan sighed. "We were in no position to help anyone. I wouldn't have been able to look after you and two injured people."

"You don't have to look after me," Ezra snapped. "I can take care of myself. I've been doing it since I was seven."

 _"Even though I just almost drowned."_

Kanan seemed to want to say something about that, but shut his mouth. He wasn't about to pick at Ezra's wounds.

Silence enveloped them once again until something appeared in the distance between the trees. A small wooden fence was apparent in the clearing along with several buildings. A compound? But, not an Imperial compound...The walls were too low.

"Is this it?" Ezra asked, looking at Kanan.

Kanan's eyebrows were furrowed and he shook his head, "No...I think this belongs to those guys we ran into. I've heard this area is bad about..."

He trailed off and Ezra rolled his eyes, "Hello? Bad about what?"

"Nibs," Kanan swallowed. When Ezra made a confused expression, "What we call cannibals."

That caught the boy's attention. Nibs? He had never heard the word, but he knew what a cannibal was. It was punishable by death in the Empire. Ezra's shoulders shook and he whispered, "You think those guys we saw were...Nibs?"

"I know they were," Kanan breathed. "You can tell by their eyes and their teeth. Eating people it...It's not normal, Ezra. It screws with your body and your head. These guys don't need to eat people, they could easily hunt or grow crops, but they _choose_ to do it."

Ezra was about to say something when he heard the familiar sound of the woman screaming in the distance. Without a word, he rushed forward towards the fence, hearing Kanan hiss his name behind him. He slid to his knees, peering through the cracks to see past the buildings and into the center of the compound.

He felt Kanan kneel beside him as they watched the woman and the man she had been with be dragged into one of the large buildings. The men followed inside, laughing and continuing to make fun of her cries for help.

Ezra looked back at Kanan and whispered, "We have to help her."

"Ezra, what part of 'we can't' do you not get?" Kanan growled, eyes narrowing on the child.

Ezra's face turned pink as he replied, "They're going to kill her!"

The boy flinched when Kanan pinched his ear and leaned in before snapping, "And they'll kill you too!"

Ezra yanked his head away, and in one swift motion he jumped over the fence, sprinting into the camp. It took a few seconds to escape Kanan's grip, but once he was running, he moved right to the window of the building the people had entered. His eyes scanned around him, making sure no others were standing around before he peered inside...

What he saw made his stomach churn.

The unconscious man and the crying woman were both strung upside down.

And one of the men were holding a chainsaw.

Ezra gripped his hands into the bricks of the window seal, unable to remove his eyes from the scene as the woman continue to cry and scream, only raising her voice when the sound of the chainsaw cut on. Ezra's shoulders trembled, his mouth agape and his heart pounding in his ears. He could do nothing. He could say nothing. His bravery from moments before was gone and he realized...Kanan was right. There was nothing he could do without getting himself killed.

Suddenly, Kanan was beside him, red faced with rage at the boy for running away. However, it only lasted a moment until he looked through the window, realizing the chainsaw was inches from touching the woman's flesh. Before Ezra could witness the blood break from the skin, Kanan was flipping the child around into the opposite direction. He pressed Ezra back into his chest, putting his own back against the wall as he fell to his bottom.

He gave one order.

"Shut your eyes, _right now_."

Ezra did as he was told and he felt Kanan's hands cup his ears. It didn't stop the sound of the woman's agonizing screams from tearing through, but it muffled them enough to where he didn't feel the need to puke so strongly. He couldn't hear the skin ripping from bone or the cracking for that matter. He listened to the muffled sound behind Kanan's hands and tried to listen to Kanan's breathing to calm his own.

It seemed to last a lifetime, but eventually Kanan removed his hands from Ezra's ears. They lingered a moment, and Ezra didn't know if Kanan wanted to comfort him, or hurt him for running into the camp.

"Is it over?" Ezra whispered.

"I think so," Kanan replied, helping Ezra sit up. Kanan turned, intending to look through the window to see if the carnage was complete.

However, what he saw made him jump back in shock.

One of the Nibs was standing in the window, smiling darkly at him and Ezra.

Just as he was about to grab Ezra and run, he felt something hard slam into the back of his head.

And once again, Kanan found himself overtaken by darkness, Ezra's voice screaming in the background.

* * *

When Ezra woke, he wanted to puke.

The back of his head was pounding from the blow he had received after watching Kanan receive a similar treatment. He rubbed his head, feeling cold concrete below his hands as he pushed himself up. The world whirled a moment, spinning and twisting as he tried desperately to focus on the things around him and take in the situation at hand.

"Ah, looks like our little guest is awake," An unfamiliar voice said, causing Ezra to jump in surprise.

The boy looked up, finding himself to be behind several metal bars. A holding cell if he had to guess. Before him stood a man, not unlike the one Kanan had shot earlier. His hair was greasy on top of his head, his teeth rotted as he grinned at Ezra through the bars. He was kneeling, eye level with the boy. It was unnerving...The smile on his face made Ezra tremble, though he fought it down to hold a cold glare.

Ezra was painfully aware Kanan wasn't with him.

"Now, now, little one," The man said, chuckling. "There's no reason to pout. I don't particularly like it when my guests give me the silent treatment."

Ezra set his lip and replied, "Well, I don't particularly like getting knocked out cold. So I guess we're both up piss creek without a paddle."

The man's amusement faded into one of annoyance as he stood to full height, saying, "Well, you and your little friend were on our property. Making the two of you, _my_ property."

"There's no such thing as property anymore," Ezra sneered.

"And what would you know, little boy?" The man hummed, making Ezra rather uncomfortable under his gaze. "You can't be any older than the virus itself."

Ezra gritted his teeth and stood to his own full height, so at least the man on the other side of his cage didn't have that over him. Ezra placed his hands on the bars and asked slowly, "Where's my friend?"

The man clicked his tongue and said, "Be patient. We haven't gotten to exchange our own greetings yet. I'm Lewis, and you are?"

"Not playing your games," Ezra snapped. "Where. Is. My. Friend?"

The man...Lewis, shook his head before making eye contact with Ezra. It took Ezra's will-power not to shrink, only because he knew what the man and his people were capable of. What they had done to that woman.

Lewis answered, "Listen, I truly want to help you, but the only way I can do that is by convincing the others."

"Convincing the others what?"

Ezra's face was disgusted as the man explained, "Convince them that you can be taught. That you're a smart boy, am I correct? You look like one. But, the only way to do that is for me to start out with a name."

Ezra's eyebrows furrowed as the man reached out and put a hand over Ezra's on the bars. Suddenly, something very chilling and nauseating settled into Ezra's stomach and he wanted nothing more than to vomit all over the floor. But, instead his disgust turned to rage as he forced a vile grin to spread over his lips and he put his own hand over the man's.

"Oh...I see..."

And without warning Ezra was grabbing Lewis by the finger, yanking it back with such force he felt the limb snap like a twig. Ezra quickly reached through the bars, reaching for the keys on Lewis' belt, but before he could snag them his wrist was grabbed and he was slammed into the bars several times. On the third slam, he was released, his body falling to the floor and the feeling of warm blood seeping from his nose and into his mouth. He quickly reached up, staunching the blood as Lewis cursed loudly.

"You little bastard!" Lewis shouted. Ezra swallowed thickly, tasting iron in the back of his throat. "You're making it very difficult to keep you alive! What am I supposed to tell the others?"

Ezra wiped the blood from his nose as Lewis turned to exit the room. Ezra called, "Ezra."

Lewis stopped, turning to face the boy before Ezra continued, "Tell them Ezra is the _little boy_ who broke your _fucking finger_!"

The man chuckled coldly, making Ezra's palms begin to sweat,wanting to swallow his words back down...

Lewis said in a venomous tone, "I think we'll skin you before your friend."

And then he was gone.

Ezra groaned, his nose throbbing from the blows. Immediately, he was pulling himself to his feet, eyes searching outside of the bars for anything to use in his escape. He knew without a doubt Lewis would return soon and he didn't want to be defenseless when that happened. There was a counter close by, though not within arms reach. On the table were three knives. Two butcher knives and a thin blade...

Perfect.

Ezra slipped off his sneaker, untying the shoe string before holding the tip. He slid it past the bars, swinging his sneaker towards the table before stopping when it landed on the opposite side of the thin blade. Ezra pulled the shoe string, sliding the shoe and the knife forward, knocking them both to the floor.

Ezra prayed no one heard the clatter.

"Yes, yes," Ezra whispered in triumph as he continued to pull his shoe towards him, the blade in tow. He then reached through the bars, grabbing it and slipping his shoe back on, sliding the blade into his sock.

Just as he did, Lewis was entering the room once more, this time with another man.

Ezra backed up as they unlocked the door, struggling when both of his arms were grabbed harshly and he was drug out. They laid him on his back on the table, the new guy holding Ezra's arms down while Lewis reached for the butcher knife.

"Anything you'd like us to tell your friend, _Ezra_?" Lewis hummed, raising the butcher knife to slip down upon Ezra's arm.

"Wait!" Ezra shouted, false alarm in his face, though he knew the acting had to be believable.

Lewis paused in his swing and Ezra hurriedly said, "Look at my arm, turn it over."

Both men glanced at each other and Ezra shouted, "Just look at it!"

The new guy turned the limb out, exposing the scarred bite. However, it was enough to startle the man into releasing Ezra's arms and jump back in surprise. The guy exclaimed, "What the hell is that!?"

"A bite," Ezra ground out. "I'm infected, and if you eat me, you'll be infected too."

"It can't be real," Lewis growled, looking at the new guy like he was an idiot, though he seemed to be considering it himself.

The new guy scoffed, "It looked pretty real to me!"

"It's too old!" Lewis argued. "Probably a dog bite or-"

He didn't get to finish before Ezra was sitting up, yanking the knife from his sock. He moved before his own eyes could process, slashing into the new guy's throat before turning the blade onto Lewis and stabbing him in the palm, forcing him to drop his knife. The new guy choked on his own blood while Lewis shouted a string of curses, holding his assaulted hand.

Ezra jumped up from the table, running out of the small building as quickly as his feet would carry him. He held the knife tightly in his palm, running across the courtyard. He had a sickening feeling that what he was hearing in the distance was a chainsaw and that he was about to find something he didn't want to see.

His lungs exploded with adrenaline as he threw open the door to the building without taking much thought in it. Only one man stood in the room, holding the chainsaw with his back turned to Ezra. Kanan's eyes were open, widening slightly at the sight of Ezra, covered in carnage that belonged to the new guy. The sound of the chainsaw made it impossible for the man to hear Ezra's entrance and the boy rushed forward, knife drawn in the air.

He slid it into the flesh between the man's shoulders, causing him to drop himself and the chainsaw immediately. Ezra went to cut it off, the sparks from the teeth hitting the concrete floor blinding him.

"Kid, what the-" Kanan began hoarsely, hanging upside down as Ezra began to cut the bindings on his hands.

Ezra's eyes were blown and he said shakily, "W-we gotta go. We gotta go n-now."

He cut down Kanan faster than the man thought possible, and Kanan used his free hands to slow his fall to the earth. He then stood, rubbing his wrists as he looked the child over. Ezra's face was flushed, his clothes stained with fresh blood and drying blood crusting around his nose.

What the hell...

Ezra reached down, pulling a pistol from the dead man's holster before handing it to Kanan. They must have confiscated his own. Kanan took it in his hand, testing the weight. It wasn't like his, but he had a feeling that one was long gone...

"Ok kid," Kanan said, seeing the pure terror on Ezra's face. "Let's get the hell out of here."

The two rushed from the blood bath building, running towards the fence in the distance. Ezra's heart swelled with the thought of getting as far away from this place as possible. However, just when he thought they were about to be home free, Lewis emerged from behind one of the buildings, his gun drawn on the two.

Ezra's heart stopped.

The man was cradling his wounded hand to his chest, his eyes bloodshot as he grinned madly at Ezra and Kanan. Kanan moved Ezra behind him hurriedly, shielding him from the path of the bullet that would surely be meant for him out of spite. Kanan held up a hand, but said nothing. Nothing could be said to this guy...Nibs weren't to be reasoned with. They were practically Corpses.

Kanan could feel Ezra trembling behind him as Lewis laughed, "You thought! You thought you could get out of here! Don't you people get it!? This is how we've survived so long! It's not murder, it's protecting our own! It's keeping us alive!"

"Eating other humans isn't surviving," Kanan growled. "It's sick and it's twisted. At least the Corpses have an excuse. They're brain dead."

Lewis let out the craziest cackle Kanan had ever heard, his hand trembling as he held the gun. "And yet there's so many of them!"

Kanan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion until it turned to slight worry as Lewis licked his lips and began, "Now here's what's going to happen. I'm going to shoot you. Chop you up. Then I'm going to take that little boy behind you and I'm going to-"

The man didn't get to finish his threat, though Kanan didn't want to hear the rest of it. Not in a million years. Instead, Lewis' skull shattered and his body fell over with a thud onto the grass. Behind him, holding a smoking gun was the last person Kanan expected to see...

The man set his gun into his holster, seeming to take in Kanan's appearance before greeting, "Kanan Jarrus. By God, it is you."

Ezra jumped when Kanan reached back and squeezed his arm, though Ezra didn't know if he was comforting himself or Ezra...

"Hello Janus."


	7. Old Acquaintances

AN: So, I know it has been forever since I've updated. And even longer since I've updated Lunatics, but trust me I'm working on that one! I started my freshman year of college (yay) and it's hard as frick so I've been super, super busy. So, please just bear with me as I try to update my stories and not leave you guys hanging. Lunatics will be my next update, I swear! I love you guys, thank you for being so patient with me. Please review! (Even though I probably don't deserve it *nervous laugh*)

Chapter Seven

" _Old Acquaintances"_

Ezra was left in a terrible state of confusion and remnants of fear from moments before.

One does not assume that some stranger in the middle of a cannibal camp will be a kindly, even if one's companion appears to know him. Even if said person shot and killed the man who was about to kill you. One does not. One does not trust in that way, especially in the world they were living in.

So, without much surprise, Ezra was wary.

Kanan was still holding his arm tightly, staring at the man he had referred to as Janus. Ezra was having trouble keeping his breathing and stomach in check, the stench of flesh still in his nose. He tried to draw comfort from the hold Kanan had on his arm, but it was no dice. He didn't feel any better about the man.

The guy named Janus put his gun away into a holster on his hip before looking around. He then gestured for Kanan to come forward without another word and Ezra knew it was to avoid anyone else in the camp coming to their leader's rescue. Their dead leader.

Kanan, to Ezra's surprise, didn't question the gesture and instead dragged Ezra forward with himself. Ezra tugged back, causing Kanan to look at him in surprise at the defiant action. The action that was saving him from the blade of a chainsaw.

Ezra knew Kanan could see his unease, but Kanan only nodded and muttered the words, "It's alright. I know him."

Kanan pulled Ezra's arm again and this time the boy allowed himself to be led towards Janus who was waiting patiently for them. They moved upon the not-so-tall fence, all three jumping it with ease. Ezra's eyes widened in surprise when he saw two horses there, waiting.

Ezra opened his mouth to speak, but Janus turned around and looked at Kanan. He must have felt more at ease behind the fence, because he asked in a fierce tone, "What are you doing out here, boy?"

Ezra could have sworn there was a bit of fondness in his voice, though Kanan made no motion to return the fondness as he replied rather coldly, "We were coming to find your camp actually. Got caught up in some…Trouble."

"Obviously," Janus sighed, putting his hands on his hips. He looked down at Ezra for the first time before nodding his head, "Hey there, kid. Name's Janus Kasmir. But, you can call me Janus."

The boy eyed the adult warily, glancing at Kanan. He was still shaking, and he wasn't sure if introducing him to a total stranger would give any better results than what happened back in the cannibal camp. Kanan only nodded his head in a reassuring way, and Ezra finally croaked, "Ezra."

Janus gave an accepting grin before Kanan said suddenly, "What're you doing here, Janus? Why do you have two horses?"

"I was planning on getting some people out," Janus sighed. "My camp and I usually come by every once in a while trying to keep people from getting sucked into their camp. It's sickening what they do, and we just try to keep it from getting worse."

"Hero work," Kanan huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not really your gig."

Janus raised an eyebrow, "And fathering is yours?"

"He's not-" Kanan stopped and took a deep breath. "He's not mine; I'm just helping the kid."

Janus shrugged, turning to the horse and hopping on. He looked down before nodding towards the other horse and saying, "Well, you said you were on your way to my camp. Hop on and I'll take us that way. Then you can explain to me exactly what it is you need."

Ezra was rather nervous to get on the horse. He honestly would have rather walked because…Well, he had never been this close to a horse before. He had never even touched one, so the idea of getting on its back and letting the animal bring him off into the sunset was…uneasy. But, the thoughts were shut down when Kanan lifted him under the arms and set him up on the horse before climbing on behind Ezra, reaching around him to grab the reigns.

They started riding in an uncomfortable silence, though Janus was whistling loud enough for it to bounce through the trees. However, the uncomfortable silence was among himself and Kanan and he knew very well why. Though he wanted to avoid the conversation for as long as possible, it wasn't long before he heard Kanan clear his throat, readying to talk to him.

Ezra prayed to every deity he could think of that Kanan wouldn't…But, of course he did…

"That was really stupid," Kanan spoke from behind him. "Running into the camp like you did back there."

Ezra's shoulders sagged and he muttered quietly, "I wanted to help those people."

"I know you did," Kanan huffed. "But, it was stupid. We can't save everyone, Ezra. Especially if it's going to put you at risk-"

"I don't care about me, they were the ones in danger," Ezra's voice was steadily rising, even making Janus glance behind himself at the two of them. "And they're dead now because we waited too long to act."

Kanan grabbed his arm and squeezed, almost making Ezra cringe. Kanan hissed, "You're _important,_ Ezra. I know that's hard for someone your age to grasp and especially since life hasn't treated you kindly, but you are important. And putting yourself in unnecessary danger isn't going to help save anyone. I thought you wanted to help people?"

"I wanted to help _those_ people," Ezra's voice cracked slightly and he shut his mouth hurriedly.

Kanan lightened his grip on Ezra's arm and he sighed, "How do you expect to help anyone if you're dead?"

Ezra gulped and fell silent. He didn't know the answer to that one, but then again if he could help someone and die in the process, wouldn't that be just as good? Kanan wouldn't obviously be willing to die for him, so why can't Ezra be willing to die for others? For the safety and the well-being of people more deserving…

People who should live longer than him. He wanted to die for those people.

Because he was a walking disease. A walking virus. And a human Corpse is still a Corpse.

Ezra slumped forward, resting his forehead on the back of the horse's neck. The creature was silent besides his occasional huffs from his large nostrils. It was dark brown and Ezra could feel the life in every step it took. The boy weaved his fingers through the horse's mane and allowed his eyes to flutter closed and feel the world shift and turn under the gallops and the heartbeat that was the giant animal.

Ezra wasn't so afraid of the animal anymore.

The boy dozed for a long time, his mind dreaming of blood and the sounds of gas powered chainsaws. However, he was woken when he nearly slid off the horse's back, Kanan's arm suddenly wrapping around his abdomen to keep him from plummeting to the earth below.

Ezra cried out slightly, digging his fingers into Kanan's arm as the man pulled him back upright on the horse. Ezra blinked blearily, realizing they were approaching a large gate that was opening slowly upon their entrance.

"You ok?" Kanan asked. "You fell asleep."

"I'm fine," Ezra said, peeling the arm off of him, his cheeks turning pink from anger. He didn't need Kanan's help. Kanan obviously couldn't help those people back there, so he didn't have to help Ezra either.

Kanan sighed deeply, shaking his head as they entered what seemed to be a courtyard of the camp. Kanan climbed down first, offering to help Ezra, though the boy refused the hand. As Ezra began to climb down, his foot missed the stirrup, sending him into the rocks below.

Ezra grunted loudly upon impact, but swatted Kanan's hand away again when he offered to help him up. Janus approached the two, a woman coming out and leading the horses away from them. She eyed them warily, along with several other people who stood around.

Janus chuckled at Ezra before asking, "You alright?"

"'m fine," Ezra huffed, standing and brushing off his clothes.

Janus turned his attention to Kanan before asking, "Alright, care to explain to me why you and the boy were on your way here?"

Kanan licked his lips, rubbing his hands together a moment, and Ezra was actually surprised. It was like a kid who was about to tell his father he had lost all of their rations in a poker game. Kanan shifted on his feet before continuing, "We got separated from some of our crew and I need a radio to let them know where we are so they can come get us."

"So a radio?" Janus grinned.

Kanan nodded, though he didn't smile back. Janus shrugged, "You're lucky, boy. We just got ours up and running."

He turned, beginning to walk towards a large building. The people who had been watching seemed to go on about their business. Ezra followed close behind Kanan, missing the horse from their trip already.

Once they were inside, Ezra was surprised to be met with a feeling of cool air. He blinked, looking around Kanan to ask, "You have air conditioning?"

"Yep," Janus called over his shoulder. He pointed to the roof and continued, "Found this place covered with solar panels. The hard part was getting them up and running, but now that they're working, we pretty much live in luxury here. Your friend can tell you all about that little adventure."

Kanan's eyes narrowed on Janus back and he replied, "Rather not. It's kind of a boring."

Janus grimaced, turning back around as they continued down the hall. No one said anything else as they entered a small office room, occupied by one man. He was typing on a keyboard, his back turned to the three of them as he appeared to work diligently.

Janus cleared his throat and said, "Tápusk, we've got some company."

The man turned around and Ezra saw Kanan's shoulders go rigid immediately. Ezra stepped around Kanan so that he could peer up at his face to inspect the reaction to the sudden appearance of the new man that looked to be around Janus' age.

The guy named Tápusk didn't look any more pleased to see Kanan, scoffing loudly as he said, "So the brat came back looking for scraps I suppose? Finally ready to forgive you when he gets into a jam."

"Shut up," Kanan snapped, causing Ezra to jump in surprise. Ezra looked over at him with wide eyes as Kanan continued, "I came here to ask Janus for help, not you, so you can keep your two-cents to yourself."

Tápusk opened his mouth as if to speak, however Janus held up a hand between them to stop the bickering. He glanced back and forth between the two before growling, "Now, we're not going to repeat the behavior from years ago."

He looked at Tápusk before reprimanding, "Kanan just got separated from his group is all and he needs to use our radio to contact them. So, be kind."

Tápusk rolled his eyes and stepped aside, gesturing to a radio on the desk beside his keyboard. Kanan's eyes narrowed into slits as he approached it, sitting down in the chair the other man had been in moments before. Ezra eyed Tápusk warily, going to stand behind the chair as Tápusk glared down at him.

Kanan fiddled with the radio a few moments before the static came to life. Ezra held his breath as Kanan turned the knob…

What if they hadn't made it back to the RV? That was all Ezra could wonder. If they hadn't made it, he wasn't sure how Kanan would react. He probably wouldn't want to finish the assignment for Fulcrum. He'd probably just throw Ezra out…

But, more importantly…He had just gotten to know them. It wouldn't be fair for them to be taken away right when they had begun to treat him like an actual human being and not some walking science experiment. Zeb and Sabine…They were starting to treat him like one of their own, and Hera…God, if Hera was dead Ezra wasn't sure what he'd do.

She was so much like his mother. He didn't know if he could go through losing Mira twice.

Ezra's heart bolted into his throat when he heard a familiar voice on the radio say, _"Hello? Hello?"_

Kanan looked back at Ezra, eyes wide. Ezra felt like he could cry when he recognized the voice.

Hera.

"Thank God, Hera, it's you," Kanan laughed.

There was a slight gasp from the other end of the radio and Hera's voice exclaimed, _"Kanan! Oh my God!"_

Ezra could hear other voices shouting in the background. Voices that he knew to be Zeb and Sabine's. Ezra couldn't help the smile that fell across his lips when they all started asking questions at once.

Kanan blinked, "Woah, woah, hey! Guys, calm down! One at a time!"

They all silenced before Hera's voice returned, _"Where the hell have you been, idiot? Is Ezra alright?"_

"Missed you too," Kanan grunted. "Ezra is fine. He's here with me right now."

" _Thank God,"_ Hera breathed. _"Where are you, where have you been?"_

"It's…Kind of a long story," Kanan said rather sheepishly. "I'll spare you the details, but basically we…We're at Janus' camp and we need you guys to come pick us up."

There was another round of voices speaking at once, though this time Kanan allowed them to sort their own selves out. Finally, once Zeb and Sabine had ceased, Hera said _, "How in the world did you guys get so far out? And why…Why_ _ **his**_ _camp?"_

Kanan paused before looking back Janus who was standing silently, his face a stone. Ezra looked between the two with interest, though he didn't question the sudden rift that had filtered through the giddiness in the room. In all honesty, he didn't know why Kanan seemed so wary of Janus. The man gave off good vibes, and he appeared to be trustworthy and even acted like he cared deeply for Kanan's wellbeing.

He would ask later.

"That's also…A long story," Kanan grunted, turning his attention back to the radio. "When can you guys get here."

Hera didn't answer a moment before her voice replied _, "We can probably get there tomorrow around noon. We just now got the RV up and running again, so we'll have to take things slow."_

"I understand," Kanan sounded relieved. Like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. When the radio began to make a heavy static sound, Kanan went on to say, "I'll see you tomorrow then. Over and out."

" _Please be safe. Over."_

The feed cut off and Ezra approached the table, putting his hands flat on it before leaning over to peer at Kanan's face. However, before he could ask what he had planned to ask, Tápusk had jumped back with such momentum that his back slammed into another table behind him. Both Ezra and Kanan looked over confused, Janus sharing the same expression as he held out a hand.

And much to Ezra's disdain…The man pulled out a pistol.

Kanan was up in an instant, putting himself in front of Ezra. Janus held out his hand towards Tápusk, saying quickly, "Woah now, what the hell are you doing?"

"What is on his arm!?" Tápusk asked, causing Ezra's face to drain of color. He felt light headed all of sudden and Kanan covered him further. The boy could feel anxiety filled bile bubbling up in his throat and threatening to explode.

"What?" Janus sounded lost, looking back at Kanan as if he expected it to be on Kanan's arm. He narrowed his eye on him, before turning back to Tápusk. "There's nothing on his arm."

"The kid!" Tápusk insisted, shaking his gun wildly. "I saw a fucking bite just now! When he put his arms on the table!"

Kanan held up his own hand, much like Janus. He tried to speak evenly as he explained, "It's not what you think."

"Not what he thinks?" Janus breathed, looking at Ezra who was peaking around Kanan's back at this point. He looked at Kanan in the eyes before stepping forward and snapping, "Did you bring an infected person into this camp!?"

"Listen to me!" Kanan ordered, voice rising in frustration. "I'll show you his arm, but you have to put the gun down!"

Tápusk shook his head wildly and Kanan looked at Janus with pleading eyes, begging him to convince his comrade that he and Ezra meant no harm. All the hope inside of him filled with the faith that maybe Janus still trusted him somewhat. Maybe that same bond still lived within them to understand each other, just by a glance.

Janus nodded his head at Tápusk, seeming to find Kanan's words to be honest. The man was hesitant before he did so, setting the gun down on the table beside him. Kanan sighed in relief before reaching behind him and pulling Ezra around. Ezra had his arm curled up tight to his chest and it took Kanan tugging several times before Ezra would allow his arm to be broadcasted to the others.

"What the fu-"

"Yeah, I know," Kanan interrupted Janus. "It's healed…Just a scar. That's why we're here…Why we're so far out. W-we…"

He paused, taking in the fact that Ezra was trembling below his hands. He squeezed firmly in an attempt to comfort the teen before he continued, "We're going to the Alliance and we're going to use him to find a cure."

"You mean…" Tápusk began before scoffing. "This is horse-shit. People aren't immune."

Kanan shrugged, allowing Ezra to pull his arm back in. He then explained, "Well, it's apparently several months old. So, it's looking like he is, smart one."

Ezra felt unimaginably panicked as he cradled his arm close to his body. He couldn't believe how easily Kanan had given up that information. But, then again, there had been a gun pointed in their faces…Still. Maybe it was because he knew Janus. Maybe he felt comfortable enough to tell the truth, but Ezra didn't. And it was his body that was being put under scrutiny right now. It wasn't fair.

Kanan rubbed Ezra's shoulder as Janus and Tápusk chewed on the information. It felt like a thousand years to Ezra as he stood shell shocked. How could he not have been more careful? He was going to have to find another hoodie. Kanan had bled out all over his orange one, so he didn't have much of a choice when he threw that one away. He was going to have to cover the bite. It was too obvious. Too out there in the open and he couldn't believe he had made that mistake.

"You'll have to forgive us if we find it hard to believe," Janus sighed, shaking his head. He looked at Ezra and asked slowly, "How'd you get bit, boy?"

Ezra grimaced and shifted on his feet. He hadn't even told Kanan _that._ He hadn't told anyone that, except for Tseebo. He wanted to try and push away the question and avoid it, but the other man's gaze was still hard and the gun was still so freaking close…

"I-It was an accident," Ezra began slowly, voice cracking. "My f-friend…Zare…He said it was a bad idea. He said we shouldn't go outside of the quarantine zone but I…I just wanted to _see._ "

"See what?" Kanan questioned, obviously taken in by the fact Ezra was revealing the details.

Ezra looked down at the floor and shook his head, "Corpses. You know, in Lothal there aren't any unless you go down to the sewers. Even then, they're hard to find. So, I told Zare I wanted to see some…Just see them. I didn't want to kill any or anything like that."

"Why the hell would you want to see those things?" Janus questioned.

Ezra shrugged, "Curiosity I guess. So Zare and I snuck out and we got overrun. B-both of us got bit…But, when we were sitting there, being poetic and shit, waiting to lose our minds…I didn't turn. B-but, well…Zare did."

Ezra's shoulders began to shake and he fought back the tears that threatened with a firm bite to his lower lip. He wasn't going to cry in front of these people. Not now. Especially not in front of two strangers. He took a deep breath, pulling the emotions back in as he looked up at the adults. The sun had begun to set and the room was beginning to get dark.

Tápusk still looked like he didn't trust Ezra in the slightest, but Janus' eyes were sorry. And if Ezra could have seen Kanan standing behind him, he would have probably worn the same expression.

Ezra didn't think he wanted them to feel sorry for him, but it was better than a gun in his face.

Janus sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose before saying, "I can't believe I'm doing this…"

"What?" Tápusk asked in shock. "You don't actually believe this, do you?"

Janus shook his head, "Should I not? You saw his arm, it looks healed. And, there is a piece of me that truly hopes it is."

He then looked pointedly into Kanan's eyes and continued, "And the source is unimaginably trustworthy."

Tápusk threw his hands in the air and exclaimed, "I can't believe this! You're trusting these people over my judgement!"

Kanan opened his mouth to say something but Janus only raised a hand and ignored Tápusk completely as he said, "We'll give the two of you a room for tonight until your crew can get here tomorrow. If this is how I can contribute to the revival of humanity…Then so be it."

"You're not exactly the obligated type," Kanan said, raising an eyebrow.

Janus shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm not exactly any type. Now, follow me, I'll show you to the room."

Tápusk stayed behind while the other three exited. Ezra was glad to get as far away from the man as possible. His eyes were uneasy. His stature was ferocious. Violent. It reminded Ezra of the dad who used to hit his daughter down the street from his family home.

Ezra followed silently as the other two men walked beside one another. Ezra was still shaking and when they stopped in front of a large door, Janus opened it easily. The walk had been much too short as he followed Kanan and Janus inside.

The room was quite small. There was an adjoining bathroom and a twin bed. Other than that, the room was almost completely empty. Janus sighed, rubbing his hands together as he said, "I know it's not much. But, I suppose it'll do for now, eh?"

"Yeah," Kanan answered quickly. "It'll do."

Janus looked awkward suddenly, eyeing Ezra uneasily. Ezra couldn't blame him…He'd be afraid of himself too. In fact, he was afraid of himself. He didn't think he'd ever be comfortable with the fact he was almost half a corpse.

The fact that he had turned Vizago.

Janus was gone in one sweep of the door shutting and the room sliding into a silence that was strong enough to smother. Ezra shifted on his feet and looked up at Kanan as he rubbed his arm nervously.

Kanan sat down on the bottom bunk, sighing heavily as he leaned back to relax against the headboard. Ezra twiddled his thumbs, glancing around the room as he wondered silently what he should be doing or saying to ease the tension after the events of the morning.

"So," Ezra began awkwardly, rocking back and forth on his heels. "How do you know Janus?"

Kanan glanced over, one of his eyebrows raised. Ezra rolled his eyes at the gesture and snapped, "It doesn't mean I'm not mad anymore. I'm still mad. I just want to know."

The man shrugged slightly, sitting forward a bit more. He seemed to ponder on his words and Ezra had begun to understand that it meant that he didn't really want to talk about it in full detail. But, screw Kanan, because he tended to pry into Ezra's life more than he should so why shouldn't Ezra do the same?

"He's an old friend, like I said," Kanan grunted, picking dirt from under his nails. "He looked after me after my mother passed away. But…We had a falling out and I decided I was better off without his help."

Ezra sunk to the floor slowly, staring up at the guy on the bed. He looked tired. Not as bad as he had looked those weeks ago when he was bleeding out over the convenience store floor, but it was a close second. Like the conversation had just sucked out his life.

"What kind of falling out?" Ezra inquired. Kanan gave a warning look, one that said he really wasn't in the mood for speaking about it, but Ezra was going to push for his answers. He wanted to know the kind of people they were staying with. He wanted to know why Kanan was apparently tiptoeing around his supposed 'friends'.

Kanan sighed, eyes looking slightly resentful at the boy's ability to pry so easily. He shook his head and explained, "He traded me off to the Empire for a stupid bargain. After he got what he wanted he rescued me, obviously…But, still…You can't trust someone after that. I only came here because we needed help."

Ezra was quiet a moment, his eyes looking sorry, but Kanan chose to ignore it. Ezra then cleared his throat and asked, "What about that other guy? Tápusk? What's your problem with him other than the fact that he appears to be a total psycho?"

Kanan tilted his head and gritted his jaw, "Tápusk used to work for the Empire. I don't think people just have random changes of heart, so I'm going to leave it at that. Just keep your distance from him, understand?"

"Got it, Boss," Ezra rolled his eyes. The boy then laid flat on the floor and Kanan shifted on the bed, switching off the light and sending them into impending darkness.

Ezra thought the ceiling went on forever until eventually his mind became fuzzy and blessed sleep showered him.

* * *

When Ezra woke, Kanan was sitting up in bed, staring out the window.

It gave an ominous feeling initially and Ezra sat up hurriedly when anxiety hit him. Kanan looked over at him, his face passive as he did so and Ezra stared up with wide eyes, expecting to be told something was wrong and that Corpses were invading or something to that extent.

"What's wrong?" Kanan questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Ezra puffed out a breath, realizing how silly he probably looked. He cleared his throat, opting to ignore the question as he asked, "Uhm…Did you even sleep?"

"I did," Kanan replied, though Ezra had a feeling he was lying. He had seen the man lie down, but he could imagine him staring at the ceiling for hours and hours, listening to every little sound outside of the door.

Kind of like how Ezra spent those several weeks while Kanan recovered from his gunshot wound.

Now he knew how the guard dogs felt.

Ezra's heart settled in the next several moments and Kanan stood from the bed. He said quietly, "Janus came in while you were sleeping, I was about to wake you because he said breakfast would be in twenty."

"Oh good," Ezra said, clutching his stomach. "I'm starved."

Kanan raised an eyebrow again and Ezra raised his in return, slightly confused. Then he remembered. The events of the day before. The guilt. The horror of the day. And suddenly his stomach twisted into a knot and the hunger flew away like autumn leaves, leaving his gut lonely and cold for the winter.

The man held out a hand and Ezra took it, standing from his place on the floor. The two exited the room and Kanan began to lead him down the hall, pondering every few moments on where he was going. He would peer down several halls at once, checking for the danger they both new wasn't there, but then again, very well could have been.

Better safe than sorry.

They came upon the cafeteria easier than Ezra thought, leading him to believe that Janus had probably given Kanan directions when he had supposedly come into the room that morning. Ezra was slightly turned away by the fact there appeared to be only a few tables and they were all full besides two seats with Janus and Tápusk.

" _They saved us a seat,"_ Ezra thought, looking at Kanan to see if his face showed the same remorse. _"Time for the most awkward breakfast on the planet."_

Sure enough, Janus was quick to wave them over. Ezra heard Kanan mumble a curse word under his breath, but he didn't bother to correct him. In fact, the boy slightly agreed.

They approached and two plates of eggs and toast were already set out for them. Both sat down silently as Janus gave a welcoming yet uncomfortable smile and Tápusk continued to glare harshly at them both. Ezra bit the inside of his cheek, noticing how the man was still eyeing the bite on his arm with distaste.

"Look," Kanan snapped suddenly, making Ezra jump. "If you're going to stare at it, we'll leave."

Tápusk scoffed, "Please do."

Janus glared and said, "Now, stop it. I told them they are welcome to stay and I believe their story. That's the end of it."

Tápusk rolled his eyes, but went back to eating nonetheless. Ezra felt a pang of frustration. How could this guy be so judgmental when he had once worked for the cruelty that was the Empire? He had no place to complain about Ezra's immunity and his existence.

Of course, Ezra questioned his own existence enough. He didn't need this guy to make it worse.

"So how did you two sleep?" Janus questioned. "I know it's not the most comfortable of place, and the floor didn't look that great, but still-"

"Janus," Kanan said, cutting him off. Ezra paused in his bite of eggs and looked up at the two. Kanan was giving the older man a stern look as he sighed, "Look, I appreciate this. All of this. But this small talk…There's no way to deny that this is damn awkward. But, I just want to get Ezra and I out of here as soon as possible, and acting like we didn't part the way we did is just…uncomfortable."

Janus' face became grim suddenly and Ezra's shoulders slumped. Even with what Kanan had said, Ezra still felt bad for the man. He was making and effort and Kanan had shot them all down the prejudice. Prejudice that was deserved, but it was still harsh.

"Alright," Janus sighed. "But, I do have a question that I think is owed to me."

Kanan looked away, the annoyance flashing on his face like a lightning bolt. There one second, gone the next. He grumbled, "What?"

"This cure you're going to find," Janus began. "Is it plausible?"

Kanan looked over at Ezra who was looking at him in return. It was obvious Ezra was looking to Kanan for the answer, but honestly, without the opinion of a doctor, Kanan didn't think he could really give a truthful reply.

"We…hope so," Kanan managed to grit out. He watched Ezra's shoulders fall slightly at the unsure answer. Kanan continued, "But, our leader is very hopeful. And so are we. We're thinking the chances are very high."

Janus nodded and looked at Ezra, "Must be pretty strange, traveling so far with a stranger."

"He's not a stranger," Ezra replied confidently. "Not anymore, at least."

A small smile graced Janus' lips, and Tápusk rolled his eyes angrily, standing from the table and leaving the room. Janus sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he wanted desperately to ram his own head into the nearest wall.

"I'm sorry," Janus apologized, making Ezra feel slightly sorry for him. "He's just…"

"He's Tápusk," Kanan snapped. "Which leads to my question. Why the hell is he here?"

Janus bit into his cheek and tilted his head, "Because he has changed. He's not like he used to be, he renounced his loyalty to the Empire and I believe him."

"Dumb move, if you ask me," Kanan mumbled under his breath, but Janus gave no reply. Just a simple tilt of his head and a sad sigh. They finished their meal in silence, causing Ezra to glance up every now and then to look at the two adults. Soon enough, they were the only three in the room.

Once Ezra finished, he found that Janus and Kanan had both finished before him. They were…Waiting. Waiting for him to be done and the looks were _awkward._ Ezra bit into his lip and jumped when Janus clapped his hands together and suggested, "So, boy. You ever cleaned up a horse before?"

Ezra's eyes lit up and his back straightened, "No, I haven't. Actually, yesterday was the first day I've ever been that close to a horse."

Janus smiled a bit, "Well, if you're guardian here is ok with it, I wouldn't mind taking you to the stables."

"Well-" Kanan began, but Ezra cut him off by jumping out of his seat excitedly.

"He doesn't mind!" Ezra answered for him.

Janus laughed…

And Ezra couldn't image him being the same man Kanan had talked about the night before.

* * *

The horses were the best things Ezra had seen in years and he didn't know how he had been wary before.

He loved them, absolutely to the max that he had loved anything for a long time. When the group had first entered the stable, the sight of the large animals that had brought him to the camp made him tense up. They were giant compared to him and the things were thoroughly terrifying. But, that was just it, they could probably stomp Ezra down without much effort and yet they didn't.

Janus had let him brush the creatures and then clean the hooves. Kanan had stood by without much expression his face other than amusement at Ezra's wonder about the animals. In particular, Ezra liked the dark brown one the most. She went by the name of Charlie and she was amazing in Ezra's opinion. Not just because she had brought him to the camp.

Or maybe he was just biased because she had been the first to let him feed a carrot.

"You know kid," Janus said, grinning at the boy as he gave the horse another snack. "You're gonna make her too full to be useful. She won't be able to move for hours."

Ezra rolled his eyes, "It makes her like me better."

"Well, you're not lying there," Janus chuckled.

Ezra glanced over at Kanan who was watching the pair. His eyes had gone from amused to serious in a matter of moments, and Ezra knew it was a look of pure and utter distrust. Ezra sighed deeply, returning his attention back to the horses in front of him.

Kanan was paranoid.

So was Ezra, but that wasn't the point. It annoyed him. Sure he had enjoyed having someone to watch his back, but Kanan treated him like some sort of kid and Ezra might be young, but he definitely wasn't stupid. He knew who to trust. He knew who not to trust.

Unless they appeared to be something else…

Damn.

Ezra ran his fingers through Charlie's hair and whispered to her, "Things must be nice here, huh? Getting food whenever you want and never going hungry. Feeling safe."

Janus stared at him silently, his eyes holding something. Understanding? The older man's face held some stories, that was for sure. It held pain and sorrow. But, it also held a past of wrong. A past that he wanted to atone for and was trying to atone for. But, Kanan wasn't willing to let him.

The comfortable silence among them and the huffing of the horses was cut off suddenly when one of Janus' men enter the stable and announced, "Boss, there's an RV at the gate. They say they're being expected…"

Kanan sat up straight, eyes sparking in recognition as he said hurriedly, "That's our crew."

Ezra rushed out and followed Kanan who was already walking out of the stable. His heart began to hammer in his ribcage with excitement and he wasn't particularly sure why. Happiness sparked within him and he chewed on the inside of his cheek with anxiety. An anxiety he hadn't felt before and suddenly he knew what it was…

It was joy.

Pure and untainted joy.

It was when he saw the RV pull in and in the distance three people filed off. It was then that his heart exploded and when he saw Hera wrap her arms around Kanan's neck in a warm embrace. When he saw her smile and her eyes shut in relief at holding him in her arms.

Ezra jogged up, not particularly expecting the ruffle of his hair from Zeb and the squeeze on his shoulder he received from Sabine. He definitely wasn't expecting Hera to hug him just as fiercely as she had hugged Kanan. If not, more so. He tensed, unsure what to do with himself at first. How long had it been since someone held him as if he was their child? As if they were his mother?

His heart flittered inside of him again.

Joy.

"Thank God you're both alright," Hera breathed. She pulled back from her hug and placed a hand on Ezra's cheek gently. "Were either of you hurt? Did you make it out ok?"

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing," Zeb said skeptically while glancing around. "How'd you end up… _here_ of all places."

Ezra wondered silently if Zeb even knew the background between Kanan and Janus, who was now approaching the group from behind.

"I was hurt," Kanan provided, pointing at his abdomen. "Had a nice gunshot wound from some of Vizago's men. But, the kid here managed to get me patched up and keep me alive long enough for us to get here…"

Ezra decided to ignore the looks of shock and concern that was aimed towards him. They should be concerned about Kanan. He was the one who got shot afterward. But, no…They were shocked he didn't run. Shocked he didn't panic. Which he had but…they didn't have to know.

He paused, glancing at Janus, "I'll skip the gory details…But, Janus saved our asses when we ran into some Nibs. We…We have him to thank for a lot of this. Us getting back with you safely."

No one spoke a long moment until Hera walked around Kanan and stood in front of Janus. Ezra thought for a moment that maybe she was going to slap him, but instead she held out her hand. A small smile of gratitude pulled on her lips as she whispered, "Thank you. So much."

He didn't have time to respond however…

As soon as Janus took her hand and opened his mouth to speak, a loud crash fell over the camp as a sudden explosion erupted from the gates that had just been sealed back a moment before. Ezra felt the ground shake below his feet and he looked over, his eyes widening at the sight before him, trying to ignore the way his ears were ringing.

Six large Imperial trucks filed in one by one and Ezra wanted to cower in fear immediately. Janus stepped back in shock, Kanan's eyes looking at him wide and betrayed…

"I didn't…" Janus began but lost his words. "I didn't contact anyone, Kanan. You have to believe me on that."

Kanan shook his head, his eyes aimed darkly at someone standing several feet away behind Janus. Kanan growled out, "Oh I know…I think I have an idea of who would be in touch with the Empire and know exactly where to send them and why."

Ezra followed Kanan's line of sight to where Tápusk stood, his face stone cold and unforgiving. Stoic even. Ezra wanted to rush up. Wanted to beat his face in, and from the sound of Kanan's voice he wanted to do the same.

Zeb groaned, "Can we just go?"

"No way," Sabine interrupted, pulling her pistol from her belt. "We can't just leave these guys. We brought these people here."

"We didn't," Kanan hissed. He pointed towards Tápusk and continued, "He did."

Several more of Janus' men seemed to look at Tápusk in anger. The Imperials were beginning to exit their vehicles, their weapons drawn on the group around the RV. Janus whispered, "You all go, get in your RV and drive far and fast. I decided to trust Tápusk, this is on my hands-"

"We're not leaving," Ezra insisted, looking at the crew for reassurance. "We wouldn't do that."

Hera nodded, "The kid is right. We led these people to you, it's our responsibility-"

"Drop your weapons!" A voice boomed and Ezra felt a chill run down his spine as soon as he heard it. Kallus.

Kallus went on, speaking loudly, "We're here to collect the boy and nothing more. We know he is here; we've been informed by one of your own. Now, hand him over and we won't torch your settlement."

"Fat chance," Zeb scoffed under his breath.

No one moved, and Ezra was sure no one breathed. They all just stared at Kallus and the Inquisitor who had been in the gas station. The ones who had been looking for Ezra…The ones who knew what he could do…

"Kanan," Ezra whispered, fear almost eating him alive. Kanan looked over at Ezra and the boy continued, "Please…"

"They're not going to touch you," Kanan growled. "Never."

It didn't make Ezra feel any better. If anything the rage in Kanan's voice made him feel even more uneasy. He gripped his fists tightly, hearing several of the guns place their bullets in the chambers…

"Alright!" Kallus announced, growing impatient. "Then we'll do this the hard way!"

And the firing began…


	8. Interlude II

AN: Another Interlude for you guys. It's a pretty important Interlude, but since it was so short I decided not to name it as a full chapter. I hope you enjoy! Please review!

Chapter Eight

" _Interlude II"_

Ezra was in pure shock.

Funnily enough, it wasn't the bad kind. The kind where the world around you is exploding and your life appears to be in the most peril one could imagine. It wasn't like when they had crashed the truck and Vizago had begun to turn. It was nothing of the sort. Instead, it was precise. It was good.

Sure, the world _was_ exploding around him. The gunfire was deafening as the automatic guns went off without a glitch in the chambers. But, the way the crew moved. It was how they had begun to work in perfect unison that shocked Ezra. As if they had been in many situations like this before, which he thought they probably had, from the way they did their work.

Sabine and Zeb moved behind the structure of a nearby tool shed while Ezra himself was dragged behind the RV with Hera and Kanan. They began shooting, no doubt hitting the targets of their desire from the way the thuds of bodies hit the ground. But, Ezra had a sickening feeling those weren't all imperials, but also a few of Janus' men as well.

Ezra felt the guilt swirling inside of him. This was his fault. He was the reason they were here. He was the reason people were dying.

But, then it hit him…He wasn't. He wasn't the reason. Sure, he had been the goal, but he hadn't called them here.

That was Tápusk.

It had all been him.

Ezra looked over and saw the man was now standing in shock, obviously surprised by the firefight that had suddenly broken out. Ezra was less than impressed when the man turned, running towards the building in which he and Kanan had been brought when they first arrived.

He had a good idea where the man was going to hide.

Ezra glanced at Kanan who was too busy shooting around the RV to notice the boy as he sprinted away. Ezra's feet carried him hurriedly, trying to ignore the bullets he heard smacking into the ground below his feet.

Once he made it inside, Ezra made his way to the office. He arrived just in time to see Tápusk attempting to slam the door shut, but Ezra ran full force into it, throwing the man back into one of the desks. He grunted, before moving around the table to stand on the other side, all the while pointing his gun at Ezra.

Ezra stood, breathing heavily from the run and suddenly very confused on what to do next. His heart was slamming into his ribcage, and he couldn't seem to focus on what he needed to do. He clenched and unclenched his fingers, shaking his head hard as resentment began to outweigh fear.

"You're a traitor," Ezra ground out. "Janus takes care of you, and he takes care of the people here. But, you sold him out to the Empire."

"I did what I had to do for this camp!" Tápusk shouted, shaking the gun. "You're dangerous! You're a threat to us! And if the Empire knew we were harboring rebels-"

Ezra shook his head before he interrupted, "You idiot, they're going to torch the place anyway! Everyone is guilty with the Empire! In their eyes, just speaking to a rebel makes you one!"

Tápusk was silent a long moment before he gripped the gun tighter and said, "Then I'll just have to hand your body over to them myself."

Ezra didn't think, his senses kicked in almost immediately as he shoved the desk forward into Tápusk's abdomen. The man grunted in pain, the gun firing off and hitting the wall beside Ezra's head. Immediately, the child dove over the desk, knocking the larger off balance and sending them both plummeting into the ground.

Ezra had both hands wrapped around the gun, his knuckles turning white as he attempted to fight for it. He kicked hard into Tápusk's stomach several times, though the man didn't budge as he attempted to pry the child off using his fist to connect with Ezra's ribs several times. Ezra's eyes watered, and he gasped for breath with each punch, but he didn't release. If he released, he'd die.

But, he'd die if he didn't figure something out.

Fast.

It took one good kick to the groin to cause Tápusk to let go of the gun. Ezra attempted to turn the weapon, but it was hurriedly knocked out of his hands and it slid across the floor to the wall. Ezra gasped when two large hands wrapped around his throat, beginning to squeeze the life and air out of his lungs.

His eyes bulged out of his head, his mouth making terrible choking sounds as he tried and tried to bring precious air into his lungs. But, it was no dice. There was no way he was going to pry the man's hands from his throat.

He was going to die.

After everything he had survived. The Nibs. The bite. Vizago.

He was going to die from being strangled to death.

How _lame._

In one last desperate effort, Ezra reached into his sock and pulled out the thin blade he had learned to keep there. The movement was quick, a reflex even as he slid the blade across the soft flesh of Tápusk's throat, causing an immediate spray of blood over the both of them. Ezra shut his eyes in shock, the other man moving away and covering the flow with his murderous hands instantly.

But, he wasn't quick enough.

And no matter the amount of pressure he put on his throat, Ezra knew there was no staunching a flow like that.

Ezra kept his eyes shut, listening as Tápusk drowned on his own blood. The boy slid away from the sounds, and only dared to open his eyes when he heard the choking stop. Before him was Tápusk's limp body, blood flooding the floor. Ezra looked down at his own hands and clothes, seeing everything to be soaked in crimson, his hands trembling heavily.

"Oh God," Ezra whispered, before leaning over and emptying the contents from breakfast beside him. He wasn't one to lose his stomach of gore, but he had done that. He had killed this man. He had cut his throat like a pig.

It felt different from killing Vizago. Killing Vizago had been a total accident, no murder intended, but this…He had cut this man knowing what it would do. He had known. He had just wanted to _breathe_ though. He had just wanted to breathe.

Ezra rubbed his stained hands on his pants, though it didn't get rid of it in the slightest. Ezra's chest ached and his throat burned. His nose was filling with the scent of iron and he wanted to throw up again with each breath. He had done that.

He had done that.

* * *

Kanan didn't get time to worry about where Ezra had gone.

He attempted not to let it get to him, as he shot at Imperial after Imperial that seemed to flood through the gates of Hell. The kid had been right there…Right beside him and now he was gone. Obviously they hadn't caught him though…They would have pulled out of the camp if they had. So they were still looking. They were still searching.

Good sign.

Hera had gone God knows where, and he had even lost track of the others somewhere in the fight. He knew they would be ok though…He had been working with them for some times now and they were always ok, but the kid…He didn't know the kid all that well and nothing to this magnitude had happened with him around…

Kanan didn't get to finish his paranoid thoughts before a hard kick slammed into the small of his back, sending him into the dirt below. He grunted in pain. Growling as he turned over, only to be met with the barrel of a gun in his face.

The man above him…A bald man, matching Ezra's exact description of the one called Inquisitor. Pale. Tall. Frightening. Kanan clenched his fists, wanting so badly to reach for his gun that had fallen a few feet away from him.

The Inquisitor tsked, "Well, I had assumed you Rebels would be a little more of a handful. I have to say, I'm dully disappointed."

"Sorry you're not entertained," Kanan growled. "Next time I'll be sure to plan a better act."

"What next time?" The Inquisitor hummed curiously. "Anyway, I haven't got time for this. Where is the boy?"

"Screw off," Kanan snapped, kicking the other in the shin and causing his weapon to fire. It popped into the dirt beside Kanan's head and he used the opportunity to fly forward, grabbing for the gun in the Inquisitor's hand.

It slid away, joining Kanan's gun as the two men tussled on the ground. Kanan gained the upper hand, only pausing when he heard the Inquisitor's laughter. Confusion hit him like a ton of bricks and he looked down, his eyebrows furrowed intensely.

"You think I don't recognize you, boy?" The Inquisitor growled. "Poor little Caleb Dume, fighting the 'good fight' for a mother long executed."

Kanan's eyes widened and the Inquisitor hummed, "You don't recognize me, do you? Well, I must say I did have a bit more hair in my younger days. I oversaw your mother's execution, one of my most memorable ones I have to say. It's always entertaining when a child _begs_ to die in his mother's place."

Kanan didn't think. He just acted.

He slammed his fist repeatedly into the Inquisitor's face, only causing the man to smile more and more with every connection of his knuckles. He felt his hand aching, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. He didn't think he ever would as the pit within his chest began to swallow his whole. She had been everything, and they had taken everything. And now they were trying to take his everything again?

Not a chance.

He felt bone breaking below his fist, but somehow through the blows, the Inquisitor was still halfway conscious. Kanan only stopped when a small voice broke through his actions…

"Kanan?"

Kanan looked over, stopping immediately at the sound of Ezra's voice. It sounded like he had never heard it. Small…Afraid. Kanan was shocked to see the boy standing beside them, his eyes widened in terror, his shoulders trembling. Kanan's heart dropped when the saw Ezra covered in blood, his hands practically drenched in it.

"Ezra," Kanan breathed, moving from where he was sitting on top of the Inquisitor to kneel eye level with the boy. He began to check over him with his hands, asking hurriedly, "Oh my God, is this your blood?"

"N-No," Ezra whimpered as Kanan grabbed his hands to check further for injuries. He continued quietly, barely heard over the gunfire, "I-I didn't know people bled that much. I mean, when you look at someone, you don't think they have that much blood in them, cause we're really not all that big compared to l-like…Like a h-horse or a cow or something. You know? And I-I've seen the butchers cut up cows and they never bleed _that_ much unless you cut their neck and s-still…It doesn't look like that. Not like t-this. I've never seen so much, even wh-when you got shot you didn't…You didn't…"

"Ezra," Kanan said, cupping the pale boy's cheeks. "Look at me. What happened?"

"Tápusk," Ezra whispered. "I-I cut…I cut his neck."

Kanan's face contorted into one of sorrow. Sorrow for Ezra. Sorrow for the boy having to do that. Ezra didn't seem to register this and instead looked away with wide eyes, staring behind Kanan's head. His mouth dropped open and he whispered, "Sabine."

Kanan's head whirled around just as Sabine was backed into a corner.

The girl fumbled with her gun, realizing it was out of bullets. Out of all the times for this to happen, it had to happen when Agent Kallus had her held at gunpoint. She stared up again, eyes wide as her mind raced for a way out of the situation that she had been placed in.

This wasn't good. Not at all.

"Where's the boy, rebel?" Kallus asked harshly.

Sabine straightened her back…She wouldn't be scared. She wouldn't look lost and confused and afraid. She wouldn't. Her mother hadn't taught her to behave that way. She had taught her to be strong. To be powerful. And now was the time to be. If she was going to die, there was no way in hell she was going to die a coward.

"Like I would tell you," Sabine huffed. "You ugly sideburned freak. Targeting kids is a little _disgusting_ don't you think?"

"I think you are overestimating my tolerance for insolence," Kallus growled. "I do not have time to play gave with a teenage girl, tell me where the boy is!"

"Your men are making it a little hard to find anyone in this mess," Sabine informed. Her eyes drifted to Zeb who was slowly approaching, his rifle lifted behind Kallus' head. She then continued, "And making it hard to know what's right over your shoulder."

This grabbed Kallus' attention enough to whirl around, still keeping his gun trained on Sabine. Zeb was gripping his rifle tightly as Kallus threatened, "I wouldn't come any closer. My finger may just slip."

"Shut the hell up," Zeb ordered. "You shoot her, I drop you. That seems fair."

"Quite," Kallus mused, eyebrows raising in curiosity. "Interesting accent you have. And your face is quite familiar. Descendent of the Orrelios Clan I would venture to say, but that couldn't be right, they were all wiped out during the Massacre."

"Obviously not all of them," Zeb snapped, gripping his gun even tighter.

"Oh no, you see I know they're all gone," Kallus grinned. "I gave the order to wipe them out myself. So, I would definitely be aware if there were any surviving members."

Zeb's face contorted into one Sabine had never seen before. Pure fire. Rage. Pain. It was all mixed together in a stew of revenge seeking and Sabine wasn't sure how long they had before Zeb was completely going to crack and this was going to turn into even more of a blood fight.

Kallus then whispered and smirked…

"But, from the look on your face…We must have missed a pest in the extermination."

"Shut up!" Zeb screamed, raising to slam his rifle into Kallus' face. Before he could do so however, Kallus reached out, slamming the end of his gun into the man's nose, sending him into the ground below. Sabine dove for Kallus, only to receive a kick to the gut, sending her down as well.

"Pathetic," Kallus spat, pulling a large knife from his pocket as he loomed over Zeb. "But, since you appear to be an Orrelios, I suppose you deserve a more eventful death than just a bullet to the head."

"Ezra!"

Kallus looked over just into to see a young boy slam into him and knock him to the ground. Kanan was running close behind, obviously having lost hold of him in the ensuing fight. Ezra struggled hard with the man, even though his body was weak and his mind was confused by all the blood covering him.

He was only snapped out of his rage fueled stupor when he felt Kallus' knife dig into his thigh.

Ezra screamed, the blade not being removed when Janus appeared to form out of thin air. Janus kicked Kallus in the face, rendering the man unconscious almost instantly. Kanan slid to a stop on his knees in front of Ezra, his panicked state causing him to reach for the blade in the boy's thigh.

"Don't pull it!" Zeb shouted past his bloodied nose. "The kid could bleed out!"

Kanan paused, reprimanding himself for being so stupid. How could he not have thought of that?

Ezra's vision was blurring, his breaths coming quick and uneven as he stared down as the large blade in his thigh. Kanan was there, pressing the boy's head against his own chest as he whispered breathlessly, "It's ok, you're ok. I got you, kid."

"I-I," Ezra croaked, looking at Zeb's face. "Are you ok?"

"Me!?" Zeb looked horrified. This was bad then? Bad…Ok…Blood, but a lot wasn't his. Ezra shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. Why couldn't he think?

The RV pulled up, Hera driving. When the doors swung open, Kanan looked over at Janus who shook his head. Kanan growled, "We're not leaving your camp like this."

"Go," Janus order, trying to push Ezra into his arms further as Sabine and Zeb filed onto the RV, Hera's voice shouting up front somewhere. But, neither Ezra or Kanan could seem to process thought correctly. Kanan eventually stood, taking Ezra with him in his arms as Janus shoved them both onto the RV, slamming the screen door shut.

Kanan opened his mouth to speak…But the unspeakable happened before his eyes.

The Inquisitor, who had been lying on the ground only moments before had stood. He raised his pistol and Kanan opened his mouth to scream…But, it fell on deaf ears…

Janus' body convulsed and it fell to the ground, the bullets slamming into his back. Hera had pressed the gas, beginning to drive away as he watched the man that had stood as his surrogate father…Fall.

Kanan collapsed, holding Ezra close as he did so. He heard Hera ordering Zeb to take the wheel. He felt her trying to help him up so they could move Ezra to the back room and take care of his leg. It all sounded muffled. Even the sound of Ezra's voice whimpering in the background as pain radiated through the child.

Kanan set Ezra on the bed, and almost as soon as he saw the boy's face stitched up into terror and pain, the sounds returned.

The world resumed.

Ezra was sobbing, his chest shaking viciously. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for Janus…I didn't mean for him-"

"It's ok," Kanan shushed, though it wasn't ok. Janus was dead and they had driven away. Kanan's stomach was churning. But, he had to help Ezra. Hera put down an emergency kit and Kanan immediately reached for the knife in order to pull it out as Hera had the gauze on standby to staunch the flow.

"No!" Ezra stopped him, grabbing his wrist. Kanan looked at him in confusion and Ezra continued, "If me biting Vizago turned him, how do you know my blood isn't infectious? You can't pull it, please."

Kanan shook his head, "We can't just leave it in, Ezra."

"Please!" Ezra shouted. "Please, I've killed enough people today, don't make me kill you too."

"You're not going to kill me!" Kanan snapped. He grabbed Ezra's hand tightly and he said, "You're not going to infect me. I know you won't."

Ezra shook his head furiously, tears tracking down his face…

"You don't…You don't know that."

And Kanan yanked.

Ezra screamed, the sound tearing through the boy's throat like something Kanan had never heard before. His heart constricted and Hera immediately placed the gauze over the wound without hesitation. Ezra's back arched, his eyes shutting tightly as he gripped the sheets of the bed with his bloody fingers.

And the world was quiet.


	9. Wages of Sin

AN: I hope you all enjoy this chapter! You'll notice that the character in this chapter is very different from the character from the television show. I don't want to say who the character is, but he's slightly OOC. I just put a bit of my own twist on him for the sake of the story. Anyway, enjoy! Please review!

Chapter Nine

" _Wages of Sin"_

A week had passed.

It had been spent filled with fever, road sickness, and constant driving in the Ghost. No stopping. No stopping because if they stopped there was no telling what would be behind them. No stops because Ezra's wound was slowly killing him from the infection that had set in only a few days after he had been stabbed. No stopping because his fever was getting higher and they needed to get somewhere, anywhere, fast.

No stopping because Janus was dead and Kanan wanted to run from that. He wanted to run and run until his knees fell out beneath him. He wanted to run until the wheels fell of the Ghost. Until he couldn't gather enough air in his lungs to cause his diaphragm to contract. He wanted to escape it. He wanted to get away from it. It had been his idea…He had wanted to go to Janus' camp. His fault.

He constantly told Ezra not to blame himself, yet here he was, wallowing in his self-loathing as he pressed the back of his hand to Ezra's forehead for the sixth time that day and it wasn't even noon yet.

Kanan grimaced when he felt the burning flesh on the youth's brow. Carefully he pulled away, turning his attention to the bandage wrapping the boy's leg. He was careful not to jostle him as he unwrapped it and studied the stitch job. It was inflamed and swollen and Kanan couldn't help but blame himself for being so messy and not putting enough antiseptic.

"Shit," Kanan whispered, rewrapping the wound just as carefully as he had undone it. He stood to full height, taking in the pale boy before him. He had barely been conscious in the last week. He barely moved and barely ate. It reminded Kanan vaguely of when he had a dog many years ago. A dog that had gotten sick and refused to eat anymore.

But, Ezra wasn't a dog and he wasn't a pet. He was more than that, but Kanan wouldn't say it. Because things that meant anything to him were taken. So Ezra had to be placed in that same part of his heart that Hera was in. That same spot that was hidden from the view of the fates and prevented them intervening and mucking up what was good.

Yet here they were. Mucking up what was good.

Kanan didn't jump when the door to the backroom slid open suddenly and Hera appeared. She and Zeb must have traded places again. The underside of her eyes were dark, just like Kanan's. Nights and nights lying awake beside Ezra to check his temperature and breathing. Nights and nights of being worried sick.

It was catching up to them.

"The fever?" Hera asked, her voice only holding a shred of hope.

"Still high," Kanan sighed. "He's burning up. Hera, we're gonna have to get him somewhere. He needs proper medical attention…I'm worried it's blood poisoning."

Hera sighed deeply and responded, "There's nowhere to go, though…We're days away from the Alliance since we got so thrown off course after losing you guys. We're in the middle nowhere."

"No necessarily," Kanan began carefully. He had been thinking about it for some time, but he knew the idea would not set well with Hera. She would hate it, and almost as soon as he said it, her eyes narrowed in distrust. So she did know. She knew very well.

Kanan continued, "There isn't nowhere to go, Hera."

"No," She snapped immediately. When Kanan held his stone cold gaze, her eyes widened when she realized he was serious, "No! Kanan, we are not bringing him there of all places. Over my dead body!"

"It might be over Ezra's!" Kanan shouted, losing composure only a moment before he shut his eyes and took in a calming breath.

"Hera, Ezra is _sick._ He's going to die if we don't go to your father's compound."

Hera's face turned pink with anger, "Cham is hardly my father anymore. That place is practically a cult and I'm not bringing Ezra there. It would do more harm than good."

Both jumped suddenly when Ezra's voice croaked quietly from the bed…

"Mom…Dad…Please…"

Hera stared at him with a shocked expression, seeing that he was only speaking through the haze of his fever. His eyes were still closed with restless sleep and his eyebrows were furrowed deeply in confusion. Did he…Did he think they were…?

Hera bit into her bottom lip before looking back at Kanan who was looking at her with desperate eyes. Desperate eyes that tore into her chest along with the wound of Ezra's weakened voice. She clenched her hands into fists, the worlds spinning around in her head as she pondered on the consequences of the decision they wanted her to make.

Pros and Cons, Hera had survived off of those lists. And when she ran away to join the Alliance that list had been one of the most difficult to make. Now she was returning and it was just as hard…

"Hera…" Kanan whispered. "I know you don't want to but…Please…I _can't_ lose him. I won't be able to do it."

Hera's eyes watered a bit as she spoke softly, "You think you're the only one who can't lose him?"

But, Hera knew. She knew that if Ezra died, Kanan would too. Maybe not physically, but his soul would die. He would turn back into the person he was when she saw him in that bar. He didn't have the same connection to the Alliance that she did. He didn't see it as a drive, but more as a justice. He wanted justice for his mother's death; Hera wanted to free the human race. They had different motives and Kanan's had no back-up.

If Ezra died. Kanan would die.

It was as simple as that.

And she didn't know if she could take losing even one of them, let alone both of them. The days they spent not knowing if Kanan and Ezra were dead or alive were some of the most terrifying of her life. Some of the most painful. And she hadn't even known the boy for all that long.

But, he completed them. He completed their family.

"Fine," Hera gulped and she wanted to swallow down the words as soon as they were spoken.

"We'll go to Cham's compound."

And then she turned and walked out, going to inform Zeb of their change in direction. Kanan felt his heart lift a bit with hope. The smallest amount of hope he had allowed himself to feel in a long time. But, if Ezra was going to survive, he supposed he needed that hope. He needed that push.

He needed it.

Kanan let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding as he turned his attention back to Ezra. Kanan carefully sat on the edge of the bed, pushing the boy's sweaty hair off of his forehead. His lips had a terrible blue tint to them and Kanan was on the verge of having a complete freak out.

The man was surprised when Ezra's eyes began to crack open, showing two blue irises. They didn't have near as much fire in them as they usually did. Right now they were ice. Like fingers that had been in the snow too long. Kanan grimaced and tilted his head, whispering, "Hey kiddo."

"Hey," Ezra croaked, his voice sounded terribly thick and rough, as if he had been screaming for the past week instead of lying unconscious. "Everything good?"

Kanan wanted to laugh. Not in a humorous way, but a bitter way. A way that spoke his true feelings. Things were so far from good, Kanan was about to conclude that the world was crashing down around him all over again, just like those fifteen years ago.

Kanan nodded though, opting to comfort, "Yeah, everything is good."

Ezra was silent so long Kanan assumed the boy was falling back asleep. But, after several minutes, Ezra murmured, "I dreamed about him."

Kanan's eyebrows furrowed, "Who?"

"Janus," Ezra said it, obviously not thinking straight as there was no hesitation with the words. "I saw him with my mom, dad, and Zare. They're all together."

Kanan swallowed past the lump in his throat before reaching and gripping Ezra's hand. He didn't know what to say to that. He had no clue. But Ezra spoke again, this time causing Kanan to look away in deep thought…

"Do you think people go to heaven?"

It was so innocent. Such a child's question. Honestly, Kanan didn't know. He had stopped believing so long ago. Because, what God could do this? What God could bring this down upon his creations? How could he allow children to suffer like this; to be orphaned and murdered before their very eyes?

"I…" Kanan paused before thinking. It didn't matter what he thought. Ezra mattered. Ezra was what mattered to him. "What do you think?"

"I think," Ezra paused and was obviously thinking very hard. "The Corpses…I think they're in heaven and their bodies are just…here. So yeah, I think people do go to heaven."

Kanan nodded his head and Ezra continued, "But, you didn't answer me."

The man sighed, turning to face Ezra fully. He said quietly, "I think they're at peace."

Ezra seemed satisfied with that answer and slowly closed his eyes, sleep overpowering him. His head lulled to the side and his hand went lax in Kanan's. Kanan let out a breath, rubbing his eyes as he processed the weight of the conversation.

Ezra believed in an afterlife where everything was good and peaceful.

But if Kanan didn't then would Ezra still go there?

* * *

The Ghost was quiet.

They had grown quite used to having Ezra talk for them. It was weird, the past week of him being out of commission. Kanan sat in the nook, his hands gripping both of his knees as he waited for Zeb to arrive at the compound and have a bit of a chat with Hera's father. He had never met the man, but he had heard stories. A very religious man, she had called him. Very…manipulative?

Well, she called it a cult.

The subject of her father had been practically off-limits, just like the subject of his mother. He refused to talk so she did too. They had often offered it as bargaining chips when conversations got deep, but it never really went past that. She knew the basics. He knew the basics. Words were stupid anyway.

It wasn't until a few hours later that Kanan tried to open his mouth to begin a conversation with the two women. However, as soon as he did, Hera stood suddenly and called up to the front of the RV, "Stop here!"

Kanan's eyebrows furrowed as she watched the woman approached the door and begin to exit. Kanan rose quickly, following behind. When he stepped off, he saw the reason for their stopping was a gate a few feet ahead. A gate heavily armored with gun toting men and women.

"This is it?" Kanan questioned, giving her a side glance as they began to approach the gate.

"Yep," Hera sighed. "Welcome to paradise."

Kanan wouldn't really call it _that_ , but here was better than nowhere. And medicine was better than no medicine. They got as close as possible until one of the men stepped forward, his gun aiming at the both of them. Hera raised her hands nonchalantly and Kanan followed in suit, his eyes showing a bit more concern than hers.

"Stop right there," The man ordered. "Identify."

"I am Hera Syndulla, daughter of Mayor Cham Syndulla. Identification number HS77987."

Kanan jumped slightly at Hera's automatic response. She spat out the numbers like they were her old phone number back in the Before. Kanan could still remember his vividly for some odd reason. It's strange what follows a person in the aftermath of trauma.

The man spoke into his walkie-talkie a moment before his shoulders tensed. He nodded his head towards the two and said, "You can come in, but your vehicle has to stay."

"Fine," Hera sighed, though Kanan was a bit weary. Even if Hera did know these people, he wasn't quite sure he wanted to leave the Ghost unattended. However, Hera made no question of it and instead waved back towards the RV to signal Zeb to get the other two occupants and approach.

"We have three more," Hera stated, looking at the soldier.

He nodded in understanding and the three waited for Zeb, Sabine, and Ezra to approach. Ezra was unconscious, his limp body being carried by Zeb. Once they were there, Kanan took the boy from the other male, holding him in his own arms.

The crew followed the soldier inside where they were greeted by about four more. The one in the middle spoke just as simple as the first one, "Mayor Cham gave orders to have you all brought to his office."

Hera nodded, glancing at Kanan and giving a reassuring stare. He grimaced slightly, but followed the other people nonetheless. They walked down silent streets, only passing a few people along the way. The people were all dressed in black clothing, something that disturbed Kanan quite a bit. It felt like a town of funerals. A town of mourning.

 _A cult._

It was only a few minutes later that he realized they were approaching a large church in the center. They were led inside through the giant double doors before going straight into the alter room. Between the pews was a desk and in that desk sat a man.

Cham.

Kanan knew it instantly. His face was much like Hera's, though her features were softer. However, right now she looked hard. Hard as a stone as they approached the man who looked up from his paperwork. He smiled brightly, surprising Kanan slightly as he stood and walked around the desk to greet them.

"Hera!" He exclaimed, sounding overjoyed to see his daughter. He stepped forward, wrapping her in a tight embrace that she did not reciprocate in the slightest, her arms remaining at her sides. This didn't deter him however, as he pulled away and continued to smile in her face.

"My dear, you've come back."

"Not…exactly," Hera began, her face going from stoic to very much bothered. Cham's smile only faltered a moment as she continued, "I…We need help. This boy here…He's very sick and we need a doctor. A wound got infected and we think he has blood-poisoning."

"Ah," Cham began, recovering himself rather quickly. "Well, I'm always glad to help my child. You're welcome to any resources we have. Please, follow me."

Cham walked around them, giving a slight glance at the slumbering boy. Kanan walked beside Hera as they were led from the church, an awkwardness between everyone present. Kanan whispered, "He seems…Nice."

"Not nice," Hera responded. "It's a cult, remember? How do you think he gets so many followers? He makes this place out to be heaven on earth, but once you're in, you can't get out. Which is why I'm not going to humor him."

Kanan nodded slowly, understanding.

It was strange to him; to finally meet the man he had heard so little about. But hearing so little left much to the imagination. He hardly imagined the bald man before him that appeared to be a normal looking man of normal looking stature. His mind had made him out to be a crazy looking monster who ate toes for breakfast.

Yet here the man was, helping them without so much as a question or a request.

Unnerving.

Kanan subconsciously gripped Ezra a little tighter in his arms, feeling the fever coming off of him in waves. He was still pale, still so sick. So small.

When they entered the infirmary, Kanan was rather pleased to find that it seemed to have impressive technology. It was a surprise really, because he had imagined a compound of this sort to be rather "back woods" with their medical supplies. However, the building was quite large and they were led down several corridors before entering one room in particular.

There was a woman there in a lab coat who was writing on a clipboard. There were several screens in the room and a cabinet filled with supplies. There was also an examining table and Cham gestured for Ezra to be laid down on it.

Kanan set Ezra down gently, careful not to jostle his leg too much. The doctor approached, a concerned look on her face as she asked, "What's wrong?"

"A wound on his thigh got infected," Kanan explained, already beginning to peel the bandages away to expose the inflamed wound. "He has been sick for a week now and we can't get his fever to go down."

The doctor nodded, immediately reaching to the side and grabbing a syringe. All four members of the Ghost crew shouted in unison, "Wait!"

The woman paused and Cham looked surprised. Everyone glanced at each other, waiting for one another to explain the sudden outburst. Hera stepped forward immediately and said, "We're rather positive it's blood poisoning. There's no need to run tests, he just need antibiotics."

"Well," The doctor began, looking a bit bothered. "I'd like to be sure. Sometimes these things aren't what we always think-"

"Just the antibiotics, please," Kanan reaffirmed Hera's earlier statement. "He doesn't need to be tested."

Kanan's heart was pounding in his chest. The thought of them looking at Ezra's blood under a microscope and seeing the brain eating virus terrified him. If they saw…They'd shoot him. Or they'd throw him out along with the Ghost crew.

Either way, Ezra would die.

The doctor reluctantly put down the syringe before nodding and saying, "I'll set up an IV. Why don't you all busy yourself while I do so?"

"We're fine here, thanks," Kanan said rather forcefully, stepping an inch closer to Ezra. Hera gave him a warning look before Kanan cleared his throat and continued, "I mean…We'd rather be with him."

Cham spoke up, his voice calm, "Why don't we give Doctor Lowe room to work, yeah? I'll give you all a tour of our infirmary, that way you don't have to leave the building. We'll be just down the hall."

Kanan grinded his teeth.

 _Not nice._

"Fine," Kanan ground out, but no one seemed to notice how forced it was besides Hera who put a hand on his arm. The four crew members exited the room and followed Cham down the hallway to begin their tour.

* * *

The only person who seemed to be enjoying the tour was Sabine.

She had something to say about every piece of tech they passed, and Cham absolutely _loved_ it. He took great pride in their latest objects. Hera and Kanan couldn't help but wonder how he had gotten his hands on them, and Zeb just looked displeased about the whole situation.

"The Empire doesn't even have access to some of this equipment!" Sabine shouted at one point, looking amazed.

Cham grinned proudly, replying, "Yes, we have some of the best pieces. I have a few friends on the inside who send them to me from time to time."

" _Inside,"_ Hera thought silently. _"Doesn't sound appealing."_

They turned into the last room and Cham put out his arms and said, "And this is the viewing room. This is where our doctors view X-Rays and other scans."

The room was lined with lit up boxes, scans already placed upon them showing various bones and organs. Hera's eyes traveled to the floor in the dimly lit room, seeing what appeared to be a cellar door below one of the chair. She pointed to it nonchalantly, "What's that?"

"That my dear, is a freezer," Cham replied. "It's where we keep the more delicate medicines."

"Weird place to keep medicine," Zeb huffed. "Why not the room down the hall. It literally says Pharmacy on the door."

Cham chuckled quietly, sounding quite amused. Everyone eyed him warily and even Sabine's excitement had died down a bit. He looked at the taller man and replied, "A space issue. This room had a bit more room than the Pharmacy itself. We collect all the medicine we can get."

" _Yeah and Corpses sing,"_ Hera thought bitterly.

Hera jumped a bit when she noticed her father's eyes were on her and she looked over hurriedly. He smiled gently and said, "Hera, I remember when you were young you spoke of being a doctor."

"I spoke of being a mechanic," Hera corrected. "You took it as me wanting to put people back together, not vehicles."

Cham turned and said, "Well, we certainly have an abundance of vehicles as well. Some that I think you might really want to look at-"

"Stop," Hera insisted, shaking her head. "I'm not coming back. I appreciate the help you're giving us, but really…What we are doing is good. It's helping people. I can't help people if I'm stuck here."

Cham was silent a long moment and everyone stood, holding their breaths. They weren't sure if he would explode or if he would cry. If he would beg or be angry. Zeb glanced nervously in Kanan's direction and Kanan only gave a reassuring nod as Cham turned back to the face the group.

His face was solemn. But it was complacent as he said, "Very well then. Why don't we return and see how the boy is fairing?"

Everyone nodded in agreement…Anything to get out of the awkwardness of the room.

All five walked down the hallway in silence before the turned the many corners and reentered the room Ezra had been left in. He was lying on the table, his eyes closed and his face a bit less pale than before. There were several IVs in his arm and his clothes had been changed into white hospital gown.

"Ah, he looks better already," Cham declared, clapping his hands slightly. He turned and looked at the others before continuing, "I told you that Doctor Lowe had it under control."

Doctor Lowe smiled a bit and explained, "I'm pumping him with plenty of antibiotics and fluids. He is already responding very well to the treatment. His fever has gone down substantially."

She paused and continued, "I suppose you were all correct, it appears it was a case of blood-poisoning. May I ask how he was hurt?"

Kanan crossed his arms over his chest, and it seemed the woman could read the expression that they didn't want to talk about it. Kanan could see why Hera had hated it here. Their kind faces and overly joyed voices hid something behind them. There was something weird inside of these people. Inside of the people outside dressed in all black clothing.

"Power be to God," Cham said happily. "Why don't we thank him in a prayer? Would you like to lead, Hera?"

"No thanks," Hera answered, turning her attention from her father. But, his face remained unchanged. That's what was freaking Kanan out. She had made so many jabs and he didn't so much as flinch. He didn't frown. He smiled. And he kept smiling. There was something _wrong_ with that.

"When can we go?" Hera continued, looking at the doctor.

The doctor shrugged, "He should be fine by tomorrow. I gave him a light sedative so he should be asleep until tomorrow morning. Then he'll be ready to move and I'll prescribe some oral antibiotics for the road."

Kanan could see Hera's disappointment that they would be there until the next day. Cham of course, grinned even wider and said, "Well then, if you're going to be here until morning, I might as well bring you all to dinner! It'll be starting soon!"

"We don't-" Hera began, but Cham was already leading them out. Kanan glanced back at Ezra one last time, anxiety filling his features. The doctor gave a nod, but that did nothing to settle the worry of leaving Ezra alone. It didn't seem these people had anything against them, but he had been stabbed in the back enough to be wary.

They exited the infirmary though, with a bit of prodding from Cham's part. He was starting to annoy all of the members of the Ghost crew, even Sabine who had been impressed with the technology was exhibiting all of her usual signs of annoyance.

Hera gave Kanan a knowing look.

" _I told you so."_

Kanan rolled his eyes. Annoying or not, Ezra was getting the help he needed. If he had to endure a few more hours of this he would if it meant Ezra was going to recover from the infection he had.

The dining hall reminded Kanan all too much of the one back at Janus' camp. Except this one didn't house happy looking people who were living the good life. Instead there were people dressed in their black clothing, a cloud hanging above their heads. The crew was antsy and he knew why. This was just…weird.

Cham sat them down at one of the tables and had a man bring thing several plates of soup and bread. Kanan blinked, not sure if he wanted to eat it or not. Taking food from strangers wasn't the norm and he wasn't sure if Cham even counted as an acquaintance.

"Please, have as much as you like," Cham smiled. "I'd love to hear all about your travels, Hera. Where is it that you're heading?"

"The Alliance," Hera grunted. She took a bite of the food and Kanan took it as a green light. "I told you this."

"Ah, I forgot," Cham waved a hand dismissively. "Why are you heading there? Is working for the Rebellion as lucrative as I hear?"

Kanan looked concerned. It was obviously Cham didn't have connections with the Empire but it was weird to hear someone speak so openly about the Rebellion. Hera's face was pink and she was obviously sharing the same worry as him. Calling it the Alliance was one thing, but calling it the Rebellion was a whole other thing.

"We're bringing some cargo," Hera said, avoiding the root. "We're supposed to have it there as soon as possible."

Kanan could practically hear Ezra snap _, "I'm not an it I'm a person."_

Cham nodded in response before saying, "Well we won't have much use for the Rebellion before long."

Everyone was silent and maybe a bit concerned looking. Everyone except Hera who narrowed her eyes on her father in response and folded her hands neatly on the table as if she were about to scold a child.

"And why is that?"

Cham smiled so widely, Kanan wasn't sure how he gums didn't split at the seams…

"Because the Savior will be returning soon."

Everyone appeared to relax at that. Ok…Just crazy talk again from a cult leader. Nothing too serious. The rest of the meal was spent with awkward questions that didn't much stick out in Kanan's mind. When they finished, Hera and Kanan were brought to one room with bunk beds while Sabine and Zeb were brought to another.

Once they were alone, Hera let out an angry huff.

"Now you see why I hate it here…Hated it."

Kanan crossed his arms over his chest and responded, "Yeah…It's pretty weird. And something seems really…"

He trailed off, his eyes sliding to the window where it had grown dark outside. It was late and he was tired and his mind wasn't exactly working one-hundred percent at the moment. The stress of Ezra being sick and then the stress of the uncomfortable world around them was taking its toll on his thought processes. He wasn't himself right now, that much was obvious. But, in this place was anyone their actual selves?

"Seems off?" Hera provided. Kanan's head snapped in her direction and she was running her hands through her dark hair. She continued, "I have to agree. I mean…He has always been weird but this was weirder than his usual weird and usually when I make those jabs he…Well, he usually would have snapped out of his nice guy mode by now. He should've already gone ape."

Kanan raised an eyebrow, "Thoughts?"

"Something is very wrong," Hera seemed to be getting worked up now and it was giving Kanan second-hand anxiety. "Something isn't right and then what he said at dinner, the thing about the savior coming back…"

And then it hit them. It hit them both at the same time like a ton of bricks falling off the back of a truck. Their eyes grew wide as they met each other and there wasn't a second between them realizing something was wrong with what he had said and then them sprinting from the room like animals.

They stopped at the room next-door where they found Zeb and Sabine sitting on the floor with a deck of cards in front of them. They looked up, confusion etched into their features when the couple stumbled in, their faces drenched with fear and worry. Zeb was the first to stand, jumping to his feet and dropping the cards instantly.

"What is it?"

"We have to go," Hera breathed. "We have to get Ezra and we have to go, _right now_."

Neither Sabine or Zeb argued. The looks on the elders faces were enough to throw them into full gear. All four were running from the room in an instant, Hera's mind berating her for not seeing it sooner. How had she not understood her father's words?

 _Because the Savior will be returning soon._

She had just assumed that it was another one of his many biblical references. She had grown up with them, they had gotten to the point of going in one ear and out the other. That was what you did when your father was crazy religious. You took the blows and you went on with your life. You managed. And ignoring had been her tactic growing up. Her tactic to cope.

But that tactic had put everything she cared about in jeopardy and how could she possibly live with that?

It was never that she hated her father. She hated this place. She hated the way he treated her. But she loved the man dearly enough it hurt. She just despised ignorance and her father was the incarnate of that. He had thought he was saving people when he built this place. His intentions had been _good_ , but at some point they had grown into something else. Something wicked.

The crew rushed into the infirmary that now had the lights turned off in the dead of the night. The halls were winding and long, but it seemed in an instant they were standing in Ezra's doorway, all of them taking in the horrifying scene before them.

The bed was empty.

Ezra was gone.

* * *

 _Thirty Minutes Before_

They were standing side by side, their bodies as stiff as sticks before him. Their eyes were soft and the glow behind them was so blinding he almost couldn't see enough to process what was right before him. Four people, smiling at him. Their faces kind and familiar. Their faces were like home. They were important.

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came. Instead a simple croak from his inside and then nothing. Nothing he could recognize to be himself. He wondered if they knew him back or if they simply smiled to be kind.

It was so warm.

So…Peaceful…

Ezra woke with a gasp.

His body sat straight up in the bed he did not recognize and he found himself staring at a white wall in front of him. His heart was beating heavily and he slightly missed the warmth of the dream. He forgot everything. Everything for one moment. Then, his mind emerged from that of sleep and he was greeted with the confusion that awaited him.

" _Where the hell am I?"_

Ezra tightened his fingers in the blanket around him, feeling the tug of something in his arm. He looked down, surprised to find IVs sticking out of his pale flesh. His face tugged up in disgust before he carefully plucked them out of his skin, seeing the purple marks that they left behind.

That was scary. Carefully, he stood from the bed and had to bite back a cry of pain as it shot up his thigh. He held himself steady against the bed, blinking hard to fight back the wave of dizziness that hit him like a ton of bricks. Where were the others? Why was he alone?

Where was he?

Ezra's mind raced and he moved to the wall, using it as support to go into the hallway. It was a long corridor; the lights dim as if the placed had been closed down for the night. Like an abandoned hospital back in Lothal he had once broken into to steal meds when he had gotten food poisoning that one time.

That's when he learned stealing food was a better option than eating it out of the trash.

Ezra slid along the wall, holding himself up against it and dragging his injured leg behind him. He felt achy all over and his head was hurting. There was a dim light at the end of the tunnel, so he went towards it, hoping to find a way out.

Maybe the crew…

Once he made it to the end of the hall, the entered the small room before him. He quickly concluded the source of the light was from screens used to view x-rays. There were a few scans on the screens, where he saw broken bones and other injuries of the sort.

Ezra sighed, turning to exit when a sound met his ears…

 _*Clink* *Clink*_

Ezra turned around hurriedly, eyes falling to the floorboards where he had heard the sound. There was door, so openly placed that he was slightly shocked it was there. A trap door…But, that would be stupid because every story Ezra had ever heard had trapdoors that were hidden, not out in the open.

Ezra approached it, hearing the sound again.

 _*Clink* *Clink*_

Ezra whispered quietly, "What the hell?"

He grabbed the handle, turning it before pulling the door open. He was met with a rush of cold air, a chill running down his spine instantaneously. He stepped in slowly, though he didn't know why. He knew it was stupid, but Ezra was known for doing stupid things and sometimes it led to good things.

Sometimes.

Ezra walked down the stairs carefully, using the railing the entire way down to support his weight. His body shook from the cold and almost immediately he knew something wasn't right. Because while the clinking sounds continued, they were also followed the sound of groaning.

 _Not the groan of a human._

Ezra's heart leapt into his throat when he saw what was before him on the other side of the room. Inside of a cage stood a woman…A woman that wasn't a woman. A woman that wasn't a woman, wearing a hospital gown much like his own.

A woman that was a Corpse. A Corpse inside a cage.

A pet.

Ezra approached slowly, watching as the Corpse reached through the cage towards him, her teeth snapping. She was nearly bald and her skin was pale from the cold and from her death that had to have been a very long time before.

Ezra's heart raced…

Why was she in there?

"Beautiful, isn't she?"

Ezra whirled around, shocked to see a man standing at the bottom of the staircase. The door on the ceiling was now closed and the bald man actually looked slightly amused to see Ezra standing there in front of the creature.

Ezra wasn't sure what to say, but the man began to approach, continuing, "She looks like Hera, don't you think? They once had the same eyes…Once. Before she was bitten all those years ago. I kept her locked away, out of my daughter's sight. Out of everyone's sight. I had hope…She would recover. That she would become herself again. But, no one does. No one becomes themselves again."

He paused, causing Ezra's heart to stop…

"No one except for you."

Ezra backed up, but he was careful not to get too close to the hand reaching out of the cage. He whispered quietly, "Who are you?"

"Me?" The man asked. "Why…I'm Hera's father, Cham Syndulla. I suppose you were too ill to know you were coming here. But, I know exactly who you are…You're the Immune Boy they're talking about all over the airwaves."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play dumb," The man snapped suddenly, surprising Ezra slightly as his demeanor did a complete turn. He seemed angry now, his face turning a different color and his hands going into fists. "I had my doctor take a blood sample while you were unconscious. Your friends and Hera were very against it, which is where my suspicion grew. The virus is in your blood, but not in the way you may think. See, my doctors have been studying this virus for some time…And we've found some interesting facts about it. Did you know it is an orally transmitted disease?"

He grew closer, Ezra's mouth trembling slightly, "I suppose you did. See, while you can become infected from a bite to any part of your body, the receiver doesn't have to contract the disease through their own mouth, but rather through the other person's. Which explains why the disease only seems to spread through bites. Your _blood_ however may be carrying the virus…But, it appears it is also carrying an antidote."

Cham grabbed Ezra so suddenly, Ezra didn't even get the chance to scream. He simply struggled, yanking at his arm to try and get away from the deranged looking man. He only stopped when a knife was pressed to his neck and he suddenly had the desire to not meet the same fate as his victim back at Janus' camp…

The man teased gently with the knife, humming, "That's why you don't turn. Your blood is fending off the bite. The immune system is such a…Fascinating thing. The white blood cell count inside of you is off the charts. I could drain you, find an antidote, and save my wife. I could give Hera her mother back and she would come home."

"Get the hell off of me!" Ezra screamed, his voice cracking slightly.

"I could drain you," Cham shushed quietly. "I could save her and drain you. I could do it."

Ezra's eyes widened, chest shouting, "Kanan!"

Cham covered the boy's mouth almost instantly, but the sound of the trap door being opened could already being heard with Kanan's voice following close behind.

"Ezra!"

* * *

It wasn't hard to find Doctor Lowe.

She was in a shut off office, lying on a small cot like a doctor on call. She seemed startled when the four ran in and switched the lights on. She seemed even more shocked when Hera pulled her off the cot with enough force to knock a grown man off of his feet.

Hera didn't hesitate to pull her pistol from her belt and order, "Tell me where he is?"

"What?" The doctor whispered, putting her hands up instantly. She looked among all of them, searching their faces for answers as she continued, "Where who is?"

"The boy!" Hera ordered. Kanan was shocked slightly…It wasn't often that Hera lost control. Not often at all. She was always the one calming him down, but here she was in her father's territory, losing her freaking mind. "Where is he?!"

"I-I don't know," The doctor answered, her voice quivering. "I left him in his room, if he's not there-"

" _Get the hell off of me!"_

Everyone froze, the scream sounding very muffled and far off. Hera looked into the doctor's eyes, seeing the lack of information. She slammed the butt of the gun into the woman's skull, knocking her unconscious.

They all blinked in surprise. Everyone besides Kanan. Instead, he rushed from the room, moving down the hall towards where he had heard the sound. He paused in front of the door to the viewing room, peering inside a moment.

" _Kanan!"_

Kanan's eyes widened, his pupils focusing on the trap door. He hurled himself for it, just as the others ran into the room. Yanking it open, he didn't hesitate to run down the stairs, shouting in return, "Ezra!"

He was relieved to see the boy…But, shocked at the scene in front of him.

Cham stood, Ezra placed in front of him with a knife to the child's throat. Behind them was a large cage, a woman… _no_ …A Corpse within it. And he knew…He knew almost immediately who the woman was. Because even if the face was decomposing in the iciness of the freezer, he would know that face anywhere. It looked too much like…Too much…

"Mom," He heard Hera whisper from behind him. She stepped forward slightly, her eyes wide and pricking with tears. How could he…How _dare_ he…?

Hera shouted without much thought, "You sick son of a bitch!"

She stepped forward, but Kanan yanked her back when Cham pressed the knife harder into Ezra's neck. Hera stopped immediately, her tears falling silently as she noticed the true danger Ezra was currently in.

"Oh Hera," Cham whispers, his eyes actually holding pain…Pain and emotion she hadn't seen in _years because it was always hidden behind the mask that lured in more members of his cult. "My_ sweetheart…I had no choice. I was going to _save_ her. This boy's blood is going to bring her _back."_

Cham tapped on Ezra's neck, causing the boy to whimper. He continued, "I just have to make a little incision _here_ and let him bleed. Just…Until he's empty. Then I can save her. It's in his blood, you know? He could kill with his teeth but with his blood? He could save her."

"You're…" Hera stopped herself, glancing at Kanan. She then continued, "Let him go… _Dad,_ he's a child. We're bringing him to the Alliance, you know? We're going to find a cure, so you don't…Don't cut him."

Cham pressed harder, causing both Hera and Kanan to step forward. Kanan was losing his patience. He was losing it quick. His eyes met Ezra's that were watering slightly with terror. Kanan tried to look at him reassuringly but there wasn't much he could do to hide his own fear. His own worry.

"I have to," Cham hissed. "It's the only way for us the be a family again."

"No," Hera whispered, her hand sliding towards her pistol. "Don't do it. It's not the only way."

Hera watched as he readjusted the knife and readied slide it. His fingers tightened, his eyes widened with burning _hate_ and he screamed unrelentingly like a madman…

And Hera fired…

Her hand twitched only slightly and her heart fluttered in terror when both Ezra and her father fell. Kanan ran forward immediately, Hera unable to move in her shock, smelling the burning from her gun. Kanan reached down, pulling Ezra into a sitting position and she saw…She saw he was alive.

Ezra was alive.

Cham was dead.

Zeb and Sabine stood shell-shocked, their ears still ringing. Hera was careful as she approached, looking into the cage at her mother. No…Not her mother. Her mother was dead. She had died.

Hera looked down at Kanan and Ezra. Kanan was holding the boy close and Ezra looked utterly shocked like Sabine and Zeb. He wasn't crying. He wasn't speaking. He allowed Kanan to hold him close as his eyes were wide and his mouth agape.

Hera looked at her father's body, a simple gunshot between the eyes before her gaze returned to her once was mother. She raised the gun again, firing once into the Corpse's head, sending it sprawling back against the cage.

"Bastard," She whispered. Hatred for her father filled her belly and she kneeled in front of Kanan and Ezra, reaching out slowly.

She took the boy from Kanan's hold, hugging him close as he had torn from his shock and begun to cry. Hera's eyes watered profusely as well and she shut them, burying her face in the child's dark hair.

What was important was safe. Her now was alive. Her past was dead.

And she was bitterly ok with that.


	10. Man's Best Friend

AN: I'm sorry for another long wait. Holidays seem to be just as busy as the school semester. Monday I had to have emergency surgery because of a staph infection so I've been on bedrest the past few days and I figured, what better to do than to update my fanfiction? So here it is! Chapter Ten! Please review! :)

This chapter is meant to be more light hearted and happy compared to the other ones. It starts a little sad, but by the end we get some good feelings. I thought it'd be a nice change after the last few sad chapters.

Chapter Ten

" _Man's Best Friend"_

"It's ok. You're fine, you're ok."

It was so quiet. Just a hush in the darkness surrounding Ezra that he wasn't even sure if he had heard it. It was routine, so normal now to hear those words in the dead of the night that he barely questioned it anymore. He had been trying not to cry in his sleep, but he wasn't particularly sure how one was supposed to control such a thing. He couldn't control his dreams; so how could he control what part of those dreams came into the real world?

Kanan's voice was patient like always, repeating the same words. Ezra wielded his chest to stop shaking, for his shoulders to stop moving. He held his mouth shut as tightly as he could so that maybe Kanan's embrace would go away and he would assume Ezra had gone back to sleep. Maybe he himself would go back to sleep.

Ezra wondered if Kanan ever went back to bed after the nightmares.

When he had managed to silence himself completely, he opened his eyes. Only darkness. Pitch black. He was sleeping on the floor of the back room in the Ghost, so he could only assume Kanan must have been in the bed and the sliding doors had been drawn closed. There was a line of light from under them, so someone else in the RV had to be awake.

"You're fine," Kanan said again, this time his hand moving to Ezra cheek as if to check his temperature. Kanan did that a lot now, even though the fever was long gone. Even though the meds from Cham's camp had done the trick and his leg had nearly healed. Compulsive.

"I know," Ezra whispered, despite not wanting Kanan to know he was coherent.

That was the problem. He knew he was ok. He knew he was alive. But all of those people weren't. Janus, Cham, and Hera's mother. Those people had died for and because of him. Sure Cham was wrong. He was wrong to keep Hera's mother locked up like an animal. But was he wrong to try to cut Ezra's throat?

Ezra didn't really know anymore. But he knew him being fine was far, far from fine.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Kanan asked that every time. And every time it was no. This time would be no different as Ezra shook his head and whispered, "It's ok. Go back to sleep, I'm sorry for waking you up."

"Ezra-"

"It's ok. Go back to sleep."

Kanan sighed and even though Ezra couldn't see his face, he could imagine the concern there. The concern Ezra himself didn't want. Didn't deserve. He was a parasite. He was sucking the life right out of these people and they were just letting him do it. From the moment they had come to get him from Tseebo he had been living off of them and he wanted nothing more than them to turn on him and just wipe him off the face of this desolate world.

Ezra didn't mean that. At least he didn't think he did. These were middle of the night thoughts. These were thoughts reserved for when the nightmares crawled into his mind and made him think things that he usually wouldn't think. That's what he told himself.

Kanan moved away and Ezra heard the man climb back onto the bed.

"Wake me up if you decide you want to."

Ezra didn't respond, and instead he laid back down on his small pallet. He pulled his one pillow under his head and squeezed his eyes shut with all of his strength. Sleep was so cruel. So inviting but so cruel.

He didn't let it take him again.

* * *

Ezra laid with his eyes closed when Kanan rose from the bed seven hours later.

The boy could feel the sunlight from the nearby window creeping along his face and hear the quiet footsteps and then the closing of the sliding doors. Kanan was trying to be quiet. Trying not to wake him, but there was no sleep to be disturbed really. Ezra hadn't even dozed off again, he had just remained motionless the rest of the night, avoiding more nightmares at all cost.

He opened his eyes slowly before pushing himself into the sitting position. He could hear low murmuring outside of the room in the kitchenette, causing him to crawl silently towards the door. He pressed his ear against it, listening intently when he heard Hera's voice…

"Another bad night?"

Ezra could hear the rustling off cups and then the sound of the tap running before Kanan answered, "He woke up once."

"I heard him scream…"

Kanan paused, "Yeah, but it was only once."

Ezra shook his head. It was only once because he had been awake the rest of the night…

Hera sighed deeply before saying, "Maybe we should see if he wants to take something before bed? Something to help him stay asleep?"

"What, so he can be trapped in his nightmare?" Kanan snapped, causing Ezra to jump slightly. "So we can try to wake him and we can't because he's too doped up?"

"It was only a suggestion."

"A dumb one," Kanan huffed.

There was more movement and Hera went on, "He's not sleeping. You and I both know the only reason he didn't scream anymore last night was because he didn't go back to bed."

That was when the door slid open suddenly, causing Ezra to jump back away from it, falling on his bottom with a bump. He blinked in surprise, looking up to see that it was Hera who had opened the door. She was staring down at him, sadness in her eyes. Sadness for him and he wanted to scream because that should be sadness for her mother.

He was taking up too much room.

Kanan was by the counter, wearing a surprised expression similar to Ezra's before it contorted into confusion. Kanan looked at Hera and asked, "How did you…?"

"Just a feeling," Hera replied, holding out her hand for Ezra to take. He took it, standing when she pulled to help him up. Ezra straightened his clothes before looking up and at them and grimacing.

Kanan questioned, "Were you listening?"

"Yeah," Ezra didn't even try to lie. There was no point, they could see right through it. "I'm sorry."

Kanan shrugged, "Like I said before, this place is small. It's hard not to listen in."

Ezra nodded and Kanan went to sit at the nook. He gave Hera a slight glance and she nodded, as if understanding some kind of silent language. She moved to the door before exiting the RV completely and going outside. Ezra looked around awkwardly before Kanan gestured for him to sit also.

He sat and he wondered…He wondered why Hera hadn't stayed. Every little thing now seemed to make him worried she hated him. She had to. It was his fault her father was dead. They had killed Cham for Ezra's life. It was his fault. Why hadn't she stayed?

"Ezra?" Kanan hummed. "You there?"

"Huh? Yeah," Ezra nodded, looking at his guardian. "Yeah I'm here."

Kanan sighed, his brow furrowing. It was like this so much now. It was like this all the time. Ezra was glad they were nearly to the Alliance. He had to get out of their hair. He had to stop bothering them. Even though his chest ached because he didn't want to leave them. They were his family. This felt like home. Sabine's pictures. Zeb's outbursts. Hera's words. Kanan's smiles. It was all home. But he was killing them.

Parasite.

"I've been trying to give you space…I had hoped you'd come to me," Kanan began. "But you're not sleeping, and that worries me if you're doing that-"

"I just didn't want to wake you up again," Ezra interrupted. "I'm just a little anxious is all. I've been in the Ghost for so long while my leg has been healing. I just haven't been…me."

Kanan raised one of his eyebrows, "I have a feeling that's not it."

Ezra's mouth curled. Not in a snarl, more of in defense. Kanan wasn't believing the lies that he was spewing and he didn't know why he was offended by that. He was the one lying after all. He was the one that was trying to beat around the conversation. But, Kanan was pushing too hard and Ezra had to push back. He had to keep him away. He had to keep them all away.

"Well you're wrong," Ezra huffed, leaning back and slouching.

He couldn't say anything else. Ezra wasn't positive what other excuse he could come up with and Kanan didn't appear to be hurt by the words, just sad. Ezra felt his chest ache at that and he tilted his head down before whispering, "Sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that."

"I know," Kanan replied. "Ezra, I'm asking you to talk to me. Please."

He made eye contact, blinking hard as his eyes began to water profusely. It was only then that the door to the RV opened suddenly and Zeb entered while whistling a tune, grabbing his rifle from the couch. He paused, looking at the man and child before his eyes widened a bit.

"Shit, did I interrupt-"

"No!" Ezra said, jumping from his seat and taking the opportunity to distract Kanan from the current conversation. He rubbed his eyes to get rid of the tears before he asked hurriedly, "Where're you going?"

"Uh…A hunt," Zeb answered, nodding towards the woods outside of the Ghost. "Gonna see if I can find something for dinner."

Ezra's eyes widened at the opportunity, "That's great! I'll join you!"

Zeb looked shocked and Kanan did as well. Kanan turned in his seat and said, "Ezra, you hate hunting. Last time Zeb offered for you to tag along you called him a 'cruel animal murderer'."

Ezra paused a long moment, looking back and forth between the men before he said hurriedly, "I've change my mind! Come on, Zeb!"

Ezra grabbed the elder male by the wrist and bounded the both of them from the RV. He slipped on his sneakers hurriedly that were sitting beside the door and continued to tug on the adult towards the tree line. Kanan followed them out and called, "Be careful! Zeb, don't accidentally shoot him!"

"Oh bugger off!" Zeb called back as they disappeared into the trees.

Once they were out of earshot and on their way, Ezra let out a deep sigh. Zeb stopped walking suddenly, causing Ezra to turn and look at him with a confused expression. Zeb raised a simple eyebrow and said, "Ok, what was that about?"

Ezra paused before turning and beginning to walk again, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Zeb scoffed, following behind, "I have a feeling you didn't just have a change of heart about hunting. You were avoiding something."

Ezra was quiet a long moment as the two walked, though Zeb eventually took the lead. Finally the boy answered, "He wanted to talk about… _Feelings_ and I didn't so I thought I'd come with you."

Zeb glanced back and that was the end of it. Neither said anything as they moved through the trees, Zeb's eyes up in the sky. He had to be looking for birds or squirrels, neither Ezra was very keen on watching him shoot. It wasn't like they were starving really. They had canned food; it was just that Zeb enjoyed things that were fresh.

It freaked Ezra out mostly because it made him feel a bit like a Corpse that was eating animals instead of people.

The thought bothered him even more, which caused Ezra to begin to step loudly on fallen leaves and twigs. Warding off the animals with his loud footsteps was the least he could do for the creatures. It wasn't like that wouldn't have dinner.

Zeb stopped suddenly when Ezra stomped on another twig and the boy nearly fell into the elder's back. Zeb whirled around with a glare evident in his eyes as he hissed in a hushed tone, "Could you be any louder?"

Ezra chuckled nervously before apologizing and they continued to move. Ezra avoided the twigs and leaves a bit more this time, nervous about causing Zeb to become frustrated again. It was only when they stopped and Zeb raised his rifle to aim at a squirrel high in the trees that Ezra made noise again. This time he shouted loudly towards the rodent…

"Hey squirrel!"

Zeb fired, missing by only a few inches as the squirrel ran and jumped to another branch and disappeared behind it. Zeb whirled around again, anger turning his cheeks red. Ezra grimaced, stepping back a bit before saying, "Sorry…"

"Kid," Zeb ground out. "Go back to the Ghost. Now."

"B-but we're so far out," Ezra excused, not ready to go back and face Kanan again. "And I don't think I remember the way back."

"Not my problem," Zeb huffed, turning and walking away. Ezra began to follow again and Zeb called behind his shoulder, continuing to move, "Kid, if you keep following me I'm gonna-"

He didn't get to finish before a rope wrapped tightly around his ankle and yanked him upside down. Ezra jumped away, falling on his bottom in shock. He blinked several times, his eyes focusing on Zeb who was upside down in the tree, his arms flailing angrily.

A trap…

Ezra stifled a laugh at the sight before him, listening to Zeb's many curses. Soon his chuckles turned into full blown laughter and Ezra was having to hold his stomach. His eyes watered and he wondered slightly how long it had been since he had laughed so much at something. Since it had been so genuine. Since it had made his stomach hurt with glee…

"It's not funny!" Zeb shouted, as Ezra's voice died down. "Get me down from here!"

"Ok, ok," Ezra coughed, catching his breath. "I'm sorry it's just…You look like an oversized piñata!"

Ezra had only seen a piñata once in his life, and it had been at his fifth birthday. His mother had hand made it from paper and filled it with sweets that she and his father had managed to scrounge together from Before.

Ezra moved over to the tree where the end of the trap was located. He reached out to untie it, but before his fingers could even make contact with the rope, a gunshot rang out through the air. Ezra whirled around, his stomach rising into his chest when he saw four men, all armed with guns.

And one was too familiar. The man who had captured them the first time. The Undesirable that had brought them to Vizago…

The boy's mind raced. He couldn't understand their luck. These people always traveled in separate groups, but they just happened to get caught by the group that _knew him._ The group that had been there the day he turned Vizago into a Corpse. The day that their entire camp turned on each other. Ezra shuddered that the thought. Damn their luck. They must have the worst in the world and Ezra had to fight the urge to scream to Kanan. But he didn't want to give away the location of the Ghost. He didn't want to put the others in danger of a surprise attack. No…He would keep his mouth shut. He would cooperate.

Hopefully Zeb had a plan because Ezra was already at a loss.

"Well, what a treat!" The man exclaimed, picking up Zeb's rifle that had fallen when he was strung up. "I was expecting to have grabbed a deer. But it looks like I found something worth a little more."

The man raised his gun in Ezra's direction and ordered, "Put up your hands and step away from the trap, kid."

Ezra did as he was told, glaring darkly at the group. The man nodded his head in one of the goon's direction and ordered, "Search him."

The goon approached, searching Ezra quickly before stopping at his sock. Ezra inwardly groaned when the man removed his small blade that he always kept hidden there. Ezra narrowed his eyes when he watched him stick the blade in his own pocket. Another goon walked behind them, undoing the trap and dropping Zeb to the ground with a thud.

Zeb jumped to his feet, curses on lips as he snapped, "What the hell do you think you're doing? Didn't we teach you a lesson last time you tried to take us captive?"

"Last time there were several more of you," The man grinned. "It appears you're missing a few members. And this time we know to make sure that boy keeps him teeth away from us."

Before Ezra could say anything, the goon behind him wrapped a gag over his mouth and tied it off. Ezra tried to speak past the cloth, but it was no use. He wouldn't bite any of these assholes anyway. He wasn't a Corpse and that wasn't going to be his choice of defense. What happened with Vizago had been pure accident…A mistake. He'd rather died than do that again. Than to feel so…not human again.

Ezra's arms were then yanked behind his back, just as Zeb's were and they were tied. The two were pushed through the woods, and much to Ezra's dismay, were heading in the opposite direction as the RV. Ezra's chest ached with anxiety as he glanced at Zeb who only gave a nod of reassurance. So…Maybe it wasn't all that bad. Zeb still looked confident.

The walk didn't feel as long as Ezra expected. In fact, it couldn't have taken more than twenty minutes before they were entering a small clearing with several tents set up and a large fire pit in the middle. On the left side of the camp was a giant man-made cage and inside sat another man. He wasn't bound like Ezra and Zeb, and in fact he looked to be dozing.

Ezra and Zeb were shoved inside the hand-welded cell so forcefully it woke the man who was leaning on the bars. His hat fell from his head and he choked on the snore he was currently releasing. Ezra turned around to face the Undesirable.

"There's quite the bounty on your head, little boy," He grinned. "The Empire will pay a hefty price to get their hands on you. Or maybe we'll see if the Rebellion wants to out pay them."

The cell door slammed shut and Ezra bit into the gag. He looked over at Zeb who spoke softly, "It's going to be fine, kid. The crew is bound to notice we're missing soon…"

"Hello there!" Both Ezra and Zeb snapped their heads in the direction of the voice. It was the man who had been dozing moments before. He was smiling, his teeth somewhat rotten as he did so. He continued, "Name's Hondo! Looks like we're all in a bit of sticky situation, eh?"

Both Ezra and Zeb were silent and the man named Hondo continued, "Not to worry though, my friends. I'll be getting out of here soon, and hey, if things go well maybe I can get the two of you out as well! For the right price of course."

Zeb whispered quietly to Ezra, "Looks like a pirate. Probably off his rocker."

Hondo cleared his throat, "I can hear you, my friend. But no offense taken! I'm used to people finding me to be unique. Did I hear correctly that you've got a crew? You look like a couple of smugglers if you ask me."

Ezra tilted his head. Maybe this Hondo guy wasn't so crazy if he could read them so well. Ezra wished one of them would remove the gag on his mouth so he could speak to him, but Zeb was bound and Hondo didn't seem too concerned with it. Instead Ezra watched Hondo as he stared at the several men moving about their own business in the camp. The Undesirable had disappeared into a tent, much to Ezra's gratitude.

A few more minutes went by and Hondo cleared his throat, looking at the other two before saying, "Well! Looks like I have an opening!"

Ezra wasn't sure what that opening was, but what happened next stopped his train of thought completely. Hondo fell over like a rag doll, beginning to seize uncontrollably. His eyes were rolling into the back of his head and saliva was slipping from his mouth by the buckets. Ezra blinked several times to process what was going on before he looked back at Zeb who shared the same look of surprise.

Ezra tried to speak past his gag, but again it didn't work. That was when Zeb turned his attention to one of the goons, the one Ezra had been searched by.

He called to the man, "Hey! Something is wrong over here with the pirate!"

The goon approached them slowly, looking into the cell. He cursed quietly under his breath before muttering something like, "Damn pirate."

He opened the cell door, stepping in and leaning over Hondo's still seizing body. And just as soon as it had begun, his seizing suddenly stopped, his body going limp. Ezra stared, thinking he had to be dead for sure after such an episode.

But he wasn't.

Ezra jumped back when Hondo shot up and kicked out his foot, catching the goon straight in the groin. When the goon doubled over, Hondo reached into the man's belt, yanking out his pistol and without a moment of hesitance, fired into the man chest. The goon groaned, falling over and Hondo jumped to his feet, keeping the man's body in front of him as the other men of the camp became aware of the situation.

Hondo looked at Zeb and Ezra before smiling, "Well come on! If you can keep up!"

Ezra and Zeb followed Hondo out, just as a hail of gunfire began. Hondo used the goon as a human shield while he himself took the men out one by one. Both Zeb and Ezra ducked behind him, their hands still bound. He laughed with each shot, and every once in a while the dead goon's body would jerk with another hit.

It was like a game to him, and he was one of the best shots Ezra had ever seen. He was willing to bet he was better than even Kanan. The last of the goons fell over just in time for the Undesirable to exit the tent, a shocked look on his face.

"What the hell-" The man began just as Hondo fired. The Undesirable crumbled into a heap and Ezra sighed with relief. One less person who knew what he could do.

Hondo looked back at Ezra and said, "Always hated him the most."

Ezra could have laughed. Hondo dropped his human shield and Hondo gestured for the two of them to follow. Ezra paused a moment, falling to his knees beside the man and maneuvering his bound hands to reach into the goon's pocket for his blade.

Didn't want to lose that.

Zeb was quick to gather his confiscated rifle as well and the three ran into the woods surrounding the camp. They didn't go far though before stopping, and Ezra supposed it was because they realized there was no one left to catch them.

This Hondo guy had taken every last one of them out…

Ezra swallowed nervously at that. Even though pirates were more focused on stealing goods and not really into the stealing of people, it still gave Ezra a pit in his stomach he couldn't name. Hondo smiled gleefully at them while Ezra used to blade to cut off his and Zeb's restraints. Ezra then removed the gag from his mouth, spitting several times into the grass.

"Thanks for that, Mate," Zeb said, rubbing his wrists. "You're quite the shot."

"Never miss!" Hondo responded proudly. "And now that I've got you out, the two of you owe me a favor, which I'd like to cash in if you don't mind."

Zeb looked at Ezra warily and Ezra cleared his throat, "Well…What kind of favor?"

Hondo clapped his hands together, pointing in the opposite direction from which they came. He explained excitedly, "There's another camp not far from here. It was one of their sister camps. That's how they captured me, you see. They've got a good ATV there. One that I'd love to get my hands on. Unfortunately, they spotted me and I ended up in that predicament back there."

He smiled, "That's where the two of you come in. You two go in and make a distraction and I'll get the ATV! Then we all flee together!"

Zeb was quick to shake his head, opening his mouth to deny the favor. However, Ezra cut in quickly and said, "That sounds great!"

Zeb's jaw dropped and Ezra continued, "Come on, Zeb. The guy helped us get out of the camp. The least we can do is make a distraction for him."

"Why don't you just go in and blow their brains out like you did back there!?" Zeb questioned.

"Oh there's way too many of them to do that," Hondo chuckled. "That was only a handful of men back there. We're talking about twenty or so at this camp."

Zeb looked uneasy and Ezra elbows him, "What? Are you chicken?"

"I'm not-" Zeb began before sighing. "Kanan will have my head if something happens to you, do you understand that?"

Ezra grimaced. He didn't even think about how mad Kanan would be. His eyes drifted to Hondo though and he couldn't help but feel they owed him. He had saved them from being held for ransom. Ezra looked back at Zeb and crossed his arms over his chest, "Kanan will understand."

Zeb was quiet, glaring hard into Ezra's face. Ezra plastered on a glare as well, though it didn't hold the same ice that Zeb's did. After a few minutes of a staring contest, Zeb finally sighed, throwing his hands in the air as he said, "Fine! What else is there to do anyway?!"

"That's the spirit!" Hondo exclaimed, popping Zeb on the shoulder before he began to lead the other two towards the camp.

The walk was much longer than it had been to the first camp and for the first time Ezra became concerned with finding their way back. He hoped Zeb was taking note of where they were because he had no freaking clue where they had come from. He took to being careful about leaves and twigs this time around and Hondo suggested they keep a lookout for traps.

If only they had done that the first time.

Before they even made it to the camp, Ezra could hear dogs barking and smell something cooking over a fire. At the edge of the tree line the three peered out into the campsite before them. Sure enough, there was sufficiently a larger amount of men and women moving about the camp, guns slung on their backs and hips. Ezra sighed, suddenly very tired and wanting nothing more than to sleep. He had stayed up all night after all and his leg was aching from the strenuous use.

"There," Hondo whispered, pointing across the campsite to a green ATV. It looked to be in very good condition and Ezra wondered a moment about how some lowlifes had managed to get their hands on it. But it didn't require much thinking on his part to conclude the method.

"Great," Zeb groaned. "Right in the middle of their damned camp."

"Which is where you two come in," Hondo smiled. He pulled a lighter from his pocket and handed it over to Zeb. He ordered, "You start catching the tents on fire and you…"

He looked at Ezra and then gestured to a large cage at the edge of the camp. Within it was the source of the barking. Several feral looking dogs were penned up appearing to be ready to attack anything in their path.

Hondo explained, "You let them out and they'll tear these guys to pieces. Quite ferocious little beasts."

"And how do I make sure they don't tear me to pieces?" Ezra questioned.

Hondo shrugged, "Run."

Hondo pushed the two and Ezra took that as an order to get started. Zeb crouched and Ezra did the same. He watched as Zeb moved to the backs of many of the tents and disappeared, much to his anxiety. He himself began to crawl towards the cage, keeping behind as many shrubs as he could find.

Once Ezra was behind the cage, it seemed the dogs had noticed him. They turned their attention to snapping through the bars and growling at him with large eyes. Ezra felt a sting of guilt for the animals. They were littered with abusive scars and despite them being feral, he didn't think any creature deserved to be treated so poorly.

Shouting was beginning to erupt from the camp and people were rushing to the tents. A thick black smoke started to resonate from behind them, so Ezra could only guess Zeb had gotten to work. People were spewing curses and Ezra took it as his signal to free the animals. He moved around the cage and reached to open to the door.

"Hey!"

Ezra turned around to see a man standing a few feet away. He wore a dark glare on his face and he began to step towards Ezra with long strides. The boy immediately yanked the latch and tugged the door open with a loud squeak. The dogs rushed out immediately, jumping on the man in front of them without stopping to consider him.

The man's screams were horrifying in Ezra's ears and the teenager looked away immediately. He didn't receive any sort of pleasure from setting such a death upon another human, no matter how vile they were.

Just as Ezra was turning to leave, he felt a heavy hand fall on his shoulder. He looked up into the face of another Undesirable, his cheeks caved in and his mouth surrounded with sores. Ezra shoved at the hand gripping his shirt as the man raised a gun in his direction.

"Stupid pirates," He growled. "Got kids doing their dirty work, eh? Well I've killed plenty of kids."

Ezra continued to struggle as the gun was raised. He shut his eyes, waiting for the pain to come but the man's train of the thought was interrupted by a sudden shout. Ezra looked down in shock, watching as one of the dogs he had freed was biting into the man's leg, yanking and tugging.

The man screamed, lowering his gun to aim at the dog when Ezra grabbed his wrist and began to struggle for the gun. Ezra aimed a kick into the man's knee, causing him to release the gun and fall to the ground. The boy stumbled back a few feet and just as he did so, the dog stopped his assault as well.

Ezra watched the man put his hand over his now bleeding wound, shouting at the top of his lungs. Ezra's eyes moved anxiously to the dog, but it didn't appear this dog was in a feral state like the others. In fact, the animal was looking up at Ezra with a sense of trust…Protection.

"Thanks," Ezra said, even though he knew the dog couldn't understand him.

Ezra heard the sound of the ATV coming to life and he looked up to see the camp had nearly been swallowed by the flames. Hondo was now on the vehicle, driving it through the camp and running over several other Undesirables in the process. Ezra laughed as Hondo whooped, disappearing behind the trees, Zeb running after him.

Ezra turned and began to make a sprint to follow, however he paused. He looked back at the dog that was still staring at him and he made a slight gesture, saying, "You can come too if you want."

And weirdly enough, the creature seemed to understand.

The dog bounded after him and the two disappeared behind the trees. Ezra followed the sound of the ATV for a few hundred yards until he caught sight of both Zeb and Hondo waiting for him. Zeb turned, still breathing heavily from running as well, "Damn it kid, I thought they had snatched you or something!"

"Nope!" Ezra replied, catching his breath as well. "But look what I found!"

Ezra stepped aside, revealing the dog that had come with him. Zeb's face turned into one of disgust as he said, "You're not keeping that, are you?"

"That?" Ezra questioned and the dog let out a low growl as if he could hear the judgement in Zeb's tone. "That is a male dog! And he saved me. So yeah I'm gonna keep him!"

"Kanan is going to kill you if you bring that thing back to the Ghost," Zeb sighed.

Hondo interrupted suddenly, saying, "I hate to intrude, but we really must be going! If the two of you would like a ride back to your crew, I suggest you hop on!"

Zeb glanced at the dog once more before rolling his eyes. He climbed onto the ATV and Ezra did the same, hauling the dog up with him. Zeb made a face before exclaiming, "He smells!"

The dog growled again and Ezra couldn't help but laugh as they took off through the trees. It was a much faster journey as Zeb pointed out the direction of the Ghost to Hondo. Ezra was happy they hadn't had to walk all the way back, because his leg was feeling the strain of the day.

It didn't surprise Ezra that when they returned, the others were in a frenzy.

The sun had begun to set and all three of the other crew members were outside of the RV, calling their names. Kanan appeared to be packing a backpack, getting ready to go on a search of the area for them when they pulled in.

"Oh thank God!" Hera exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Ezra when he hopped off of the ATV. She pulled away and looked at the boy and then at Zeb before asking, "Where have you been?"

She then looked at Hondo and continued, "And…Who's this?"

"Hondo Ohnaka, my lady," The man replied, tipping his hat just as Sabine and Kanan approached. "And you must be the crew of these two lovely people. They came in quite handy getting me this ATV!"

Kanan looked at Ezra with an appalled expression and Ezra explained quickly, "We were caught by some Undesirables, but Hondo saved us. So we repaid the favor."

"By stealing from their camp?" Kanan asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I tried to talk him out of it," Zeb replied.

Hera pointed a finger in his direction, "You're the adult, you could've said no!"

Ezra jumped away, reaching for the dog on the ATV. He tugged the animal down, pulling him towards the other crew members as he said excitedly, "And look! I found this dog! I was thinking he could come with us to the Alliance-"

"What?" Kanan blinked. "You brought a dog back?"

He looked at Zeb, "You let him bring a dog back?"

"The thing is a beast," Zeb snapped. "Had nothing to do with it, he stinks and its covered in fleas!"

The dog snapped at Zeb's hand and the skyscraper of a man stumbled back. Sabine laughed loudly, stepping forward and patting the dog on the head, "I like him already."

"We can't have a dog on the Ghost," Kanan shook his head. "No…Definitely not."

"But Kanan!" Ezra exclaimed, kneeling beside the animal and tugging him close. "He saved me!"

Kanan was quiet, watching as Ezra held onto the dog with dear life and Sabine patted the animal on the head. His eyes drifted to Zeb who still had a disgusted look on his face and then to Hera who was smiling at the children. She looked at Kanan and gave a slight shrug.

"I don't see why not."

Kanan and Zeb both groaned and Kanan sighed in defeat, "Fine…But you have to get him flea free before we allow him inside. The last thing we need is an infestation."

"YES!" Ezra cheered, jumping and shoving his fist into the air. Hondo laughed from where he sat on his newly stolen ATV and he gave a slight wave.

"Thank you very much for the assistance," Hondo grinned. "Maybe our paths with cross again in the future."

"Hope not," Zeb muttered, still glaring at the dog.

Hondo fired up the ATV, driving off into the woods once more. Sabine rubbed the dog behind the ear and questioned Ezra, "What do you want to call him?"

Ezra was quiet a long moment before a smile fell on his lips, "Chopper."

Zeb shook his head, his jaw falling open, "That's awful!"

The dog snapped in his direction again and Hera laughed, "I think it fits quite well."

Ezra kneeled in front of the dog again, his smile taking up his entire face. Kanan and Hera watched silently, taking in the fact that Ezra was genuinely happy in that moment. The boy had so few happy memories…They were glad they were getting to witness at least one.

He deserved this one.

* * *

So we finally have a Chopper! After so many requests to bring Chopper into the story as an animal, I finally decided to do it. Yayyyy! I hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think with a review. :)


	11. Exodus

AN: I know, I know…I'm terrible for making you all wait so long. I just want to thank everyone who has been patient with me so far. But I finally finished up chapter eleven and got it in a way that I felt it was worthy of being posted. So here you all go! I hope you enjoy and leave a quick review to let me know what you think!

Chapter Eleven

" _Exodus"_

A day away.

The thought seemed weird in Ezra's mind. They were only a day's drive away from the rebellion. His heart clenched in his chest from where he sat on the bench in the Ghost. Chopper was sitting beside him, his mouth open and his tongue hanging out. He looked content to be with them, and Ezra loved it. After they had gotten him flea free he had grown on everyone. Well everyone besides Zeb of course. Zeb still despised the creature, claiming he was diseased.

Ezra highly doubted such things, but oh well.

Everyone looked exhausted, but Ezra himself felt full of energy. To think, all of the hardships they had faced on the way to the Alliance were about to be worth something. They only had one more supply stop and then they could finish the drive there. It made him giddy, but then again it made him sad in the same breath. What if the crew left once they arrived? What if he was alone with the strangers of the Alliance?

The thought scared him. It made him feel like bugs were crawling under his skin. He didn't want to lose his new family, but he doubted they would want to stay longer than they had to. Kanan made it clear he resented Fulcrum.

But he was happy. Soon they would find a way to use him to cure people. He could save people…He could destroy the disease that had been ravaging the world for so many years. He could do something that wasn't useless.

He could redeem himself.

Because he had just watched…He had just watched as his parents burned. But now he was doing something. He was helping the world and he was giving back. He wasn't going to be a parasite anymore; he was going to provide. That made him happy.

Ezra glanced out the window as they approached the gates of the compound they would use for the last of their supplies. Fuel and food from what he understood. They had waited until they were down to the bare minimum to stop again. Now it was essential, the fuel tank not even holding enough to last them a few more hours. They had hoped they could hold out until getting the last bit to the Alliance, but that just didn't seem to be an option.

The boy watched the brief exchange Hera had with the man at the gate before she drove in, heading towards an area where several other RVs were parked. As soon as they parked, Ezra jumped from his seat, Chopper going to follow him.

"Woah kid," He heard Zeb say from behind him but Ezra continued to barrel for the door. Before he could get out however, Kanan exited from behind the curtain in the front of the RV and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. He choked briefly when his collar caught him and he stilled, Chopper barking slightly at Kanan before the animal realized who it was and backed down.

Even Chopper didn't mess with Kanan the way he did Zeb.

"What's the rush?" Kanan asked, looking down into wide blue eyes.

Ezra grinned, "We gotta hurry and get the supplies, we're almost to the Alliance."

Kanan smiled a little bit but Ezra was a slightly startled to see sadness behind the grin. The teenager tilted his head in confusion, and Kanan seemed to notice, forcing the smile harder to become more convincing. But Ezra had seen it. He had seen the struggle behind it. He had seen the gleam of sadness and Ezra's chest pinched.

Suddenly Ezra felt very guilty for being excited.

"Just hang on a second," Kanan said, releasing the back of Ezra's shirt, still forcing his smile. "Hera hasn't even given us the list yet."

"It's right here," Hera chimed in, appearing from the curtain as well. Ezra looked back at both Zeb and Sabine who had stood from their places at the nook. His eyes then drifted to Hera once more who was handing a paper to Kanan, more than likely a paper containing the shopping list they were going to need.

Hera continued, "Sabine and I will stay with the RV. You boys go ahead and get the supplies."

Zeb groaned, "We made the supply run last time."

"And you'll make it again," Sabine laughed, punching his arm. Ezra didn't understand why Zeb despised supply runs so much. Ezra longed for them. He longed to get off the Ghost and go explore. To explore but not be worried about Nibs or undesirables. It was much more enjoyable that way, but obviously, Zeb didn't share that feeling.

Ezra bounded down the steps to the door, "Right, let's go! Come on Chopper!"

The dog immediately followed, however Zeb shook his head hard, "No, no, no if I'm going with them on the supply run the mutt has to stay here."

As if on cue the dog growled. Ezra glared in Zeb's direction and said, "Why can't Chopper come?"

"'Cause I don't like the beast," Zeb said. "It stays here."

"He Zeb," Ezra insisted. " _He_."

"Zeb is right Ezra," Kanan cut in before the conversation could escalate beyond what was being said. "Chopper would just be in the way. Let him stay here with Hera and Sabine."

Ezra bit the inside of his cheek, crossing his arms over his chest and meeting eyes with Kanan who stared back just as intently. Eventually though, the boy wavered under the elder man's stare and he looked down, sighing, "Ok fine. Sorry Chop…Looks like you can't come along."

The dog didn't seem to get it, but Hera reached out and took him by the nap of his neck, tugging him back away from the door as the two men followed Ezra out into the fresh air. As they shut the door behind them, Zeb said, "Good job not spoiling the kid for once."

He was laughing and Ezra looked back at the pair. Kanan rolled his eyes and responded, "We're not spoiling him."

"Oh it's spoiling," Zeb insisted. "Sabine agrees."

"I'm not spoiled," Ezra huffed, turning back around, but allowing himself to fall behind the two men as he had no idea where the market was. "Chopper is a dog…He needs to run or he'll get a bad attitude and you'll just hate him more."

"I don't hate the thing I just dislike it," Zeb sighed, looking back at Ezra who had fallen in step behind them. "I'd hate it for you if something happened to the beast. Which is partly why I think keeping it was a bad idea. You're already too attached."

Ezra fell silent after that. He hadn't really given it much thought, but he did really like having Chopper around. It would be pretty devastating to lose him. But the reasoning, to Ezra, seemed dumb. Dumb because if Zeb didn't want Ezra getting attached to the dog because of the chance of the dog dying, then he shouldn't want Ezra to get attached to any of them either. Because there was always a chance of losing someone. Always.

Ezra was quiet most of the walk, listening as Kanan and Zeb droned on about things that didn't really interest him. He couldn't stop thinking about the Alliance. About what it was going to be like when they got there. About what was going to be expected of him.

He worried about that. What if they wanted something couldn't give? He wanted to help people…it was the whole point he had come this far. To save people. He was willing to give up everything in order to do that, but he didn't think Kanan was. Kanan would never be willing to give up what Ezra was willing to give up and that troubled him. If Kanan didn't agree with Fulcrum's plan, then what were they going to do…?

Before Ezra knew it, they were entering the Market and the thoughts were still bombarding him. The crowds of people walking closely together did nothing to calm his anxiety and he was quick to grip the back of Kanan's coat in order not to get separated from the adults. People brushed past each other with nearly no room to walk in the street as others stopped at random shops to grab various items.

"Wow this place is packed," Zeb huffed, annoyance clear in his voice.

"I agree," Kanan hummed. He looked back at Ezra and ordered, "You stay close."

Ezra only nodded, grunting as someone bumped into his shoulder. He didn't really know how they were expected to find any of the supplies they needed in such a sea of people. But it seemed Kanan knew where he was going because he was soon making a bee-line for a particular shop, pulling Ezra along. They entered without much issue, the door ringing when they opened and shut it. There were a few other people in the shop but other than that it was a welcomed emptiness.

Ezra let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding as he released Kanan's coat and moved. He blinked around him, taking in the various canned foods. Kanan took the list from his pocket before beginning to scoop up the canned items into his hands, Zeb following in suit as if he already knew what was on the list. Ezra on the other hand hadn't quite gotten the hang of the supply runs so he moved to another aisle to stay out of the way.

He slid his hand along the objects on the shelves, sighing deeply and tilting his head to the side. The excitement from earlier was now overshadowed by his anxieties and he cursed his brain for being so cruel to him. How dare he think that way? How dare he question Fulcrum?

But then…How dare he question Kanan? The man had almost sacrificed his life for him. He lost a father figure because of Ezra. Hera lost her father because of Ezra. And Kanan _loves_ Hera and quite obviously _loved_ Janus. Ezra was the person who had taken everything away and yet Kanan still cared about him. Unconditionally. A street-rat from Lothal.

Ezra shook his head at the thought. It was almost unbelievable.

Ezra had rounded the next aisle was a moving back up towards the front of the store when he heard it. Shouting. It was an immediate reaction to rush towards the glass door and peer out of it into the crowd outside. People were yelling, but it didn't sound terrified. Mostly shocked. He could see the crowd moving away, parting into a circle surrounding something but he couldn't see around them to peer into the middle.

And Ezra didn't think. He pushed the door open and exited.

The child squeezed past several of the bystanders to get a good look and the moment he made it to the edge, he found what everyone was looking at. A man was fiercely attacking another man who was lying on the ground. Ezra's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as all he could was the attacker's back.

No one was moving to help, and this startled Ezra a bit. He couldn't comprehend why people were simply watching with their mouths hanging open while someone was obviously assaulting another. Ezra's muscles moved on their own, sending him forward into the attacker's back, knocking the man down onto the pavement.

He was even more shocked by what stood up.

Not a man.

A Corpse.

Ezra gasped slightly, the man on the ground continuing to screaming from his bloodied and clawed chest. The Corpse was snarling at Ezra and he stumbled back a bit, blinking. There weren't supposed to be Corpses in compounds. That wasn't a thing.

Some of the people surrounding him gasped and screamed, as if they had just come to the same realization he had. Ezra jumped back when the Corpse lunged, gripping onto the boy's shirt tightly and wrapping it in an iron grip. Ezra didn't hesitate to sling a punch into the thing's temple, and his stomach churned when he felt his fist crack under the pressure.

Despite the pain, Ezra swung again, feeling his entire wrist give out this time. He screamed, going into panic mode as he attempted to yank himself out of the Corpse's grip in a last-ditch effort to remove himself from the situation. Fire was coursing up his arm, the hard skull having done extensive damage to his wrist and knuckles. It had been like punching a brick wall.

Suddenly Ezra was thrown to the ground when Zeb flew out of his side vision, knocking the Corpse down as well. Ezra grunted when he hit the pavement, his elbows scratching against it. Zeb was quick to grab the Corpse by what was left of its hair and slammed it down on the pavement repeatedly until blood began to pool from its scalp. He didn't stop until the Corpse had completely stilled.

Ezra looked up when a shadow casted over him and he saw Kanan standing above. The man kneeled hurriedly beside him, scolding, "What were you doing?"

The teen only blinked as he was assisted in sitting up. People were screaming and running in all directions, but Ezra understood why. Many people in compounds had never even seen a Corpse before, which was strange but not uncommon. Some people had never left the compounds in fifteen years.

Zeb breathed heavily, moving off the Corpse. He looked around and said, "I think we should go back to the Ghost. This is a bit of a frenzy and I don't want to be here when the troopers arrive to investigate."

"Yeah," Kanan agreed, standing a pulling Ezra up with him. Zeb stood as well and Ezra cradled his injured wrist close to him. He was painfully aware that it broken, he could tell by the pain radiating through it and up to his shoulder. He shut his eyes a moment but Kanan was leading him along so he didn't need to be able to see.

He ignored the shouting as they walked and instead centered his focus on making sure his wrist wasn't being jostled. Just people bumping into his shoulder was making him want to vomit. He was grateful when they escaped the market area and returned to the RV.

When they climbed back aboard, Hera was sitting in the booth and Sabine was happily on the counter eating a spoonful of some canned fruit. Both looked confused when the three males entered, but Chopper jumped happily, bounding over and bumping Ezra a bit too hard.

"Ah…Chop hang on," Ezra said, trying to adjust his wrist. It was like the break was making his entire body ache. He moved over to the bench and sat down, the dog following. It seemed the creature realized Ezra was in discomfort, because he immediately laid down on the floor beside Ezra's feet, peering up at him with wide eyes.

"What happened?" Hera asked and it vaguely reminded Ezra of the night Kanan and Zeb had brought him home.

Zeb sighed, moving to the sink to rinse his bloodied hands, "There was a damn Corpse in the market place. Can you believe our luck? The day we get here they have a break out!"

"Ugh," Sabine groaned, kicking Zeb away. "I'm trying to eat and you smell like blood."

Zeb rolled his eyes and Ezra looked up at the others through his hair. Kanan was staring at him, as if he knew something was wrong by the way Ezra was holding his wrist. Ezra swallowed and Kanan sighed exasperated, "Let me see it."

Ezra knew Kanan had been waiting for Ezra to say something about the injury but had grown impatient. Ezra slowly held out his wrist and he was startled to see the knuckled were already turning different colors as well as his wrist. Ezra blinked…It was so quick for the swelling to have already begun.

And it was quite obviously out of its place.

Sabine hissed and smacked the can of fruit down, "That's it, I can't eat here."

Hera stood from the booth as Kanan held the wrist in his hand. Ezra almost yanked away, grimacing. Hera spoke from her place, "That's definitely broken."

"And it needs to be set," Zeb hummed. "I feel for you, kid."

Ezra blinked. He had broken a few bones, but never had they needed setting. Besides fingers and those were easy to do. He had done them himself. He looked up at Kanan who didn't look as sympathetic as the others. In fact he looked angry and Ezra didn't have to guess why.

"Why'd you run out there?"

Ezra sighed at the question, "Do we have to talk about that while my limb is turning into a potato?"

"You _ran_ where?" Hera asked, tilting her head.

Zeb and Sabine looked at each other, appearing almost amused and Ezra wanted to kick them both in the shins. Ezra was quick to defend, "A guy was being attacked, I didn't know a Corpse was what was attacking him! And people were just standing around doing nothing!"

"The people were in shock," Kanan provided.

Ezra groaned, "Look, it wasn't a big deal. Just set the thing and get it over with."

"How'd you even manage that?" Sabine wondered.

Ezra bit the inside of his cheek and tilted his head sheepishly. He chuckled almost nervously, "I was aiming to punch the thing in the face but it landed on his temple…A few times."

Zeb shook his head and Ezra opened his mouth to respond to the non-verbal gesture but a burning fire raced through his entire body when his wrist was suddenly yanked hard and sharp. Ezra screamed, shrill and pained as he doubled over, yanking his wrist away from Kanan. Later Ezra would have to give him points, he set it when the teen least expected it but damn…

Chopper jumped up immediately, beginning to bark in Kanan's direction. Though they all knew the dog wouldn't move between them. Chopper trusted Kanan, and even if he was a dog they all knew he would never have done it intentionally. But the boy's shouting had been enough to startle the dog into a fit of barking and stomping, growling at Kanan's actions.

"Breathe," Kanan ordered, grabbing both of Ezra's shoulders. The boy fought down the tears that were threatening him and he gasped, choking. He looked up and he could see the guilt that etched into Kanan's face when the man saw the pain in the child's shocked expression.

Ezra shouted, " _Ow_ Kanan!"

He choked again, lowering his body to protect the limb from further abuse. Kanan continued to grip his shoulders until the fire welled down enough for Ezra to calm his breathing. Ezra said through gritted teeth, "I cannot believe you did that. You could have warned me, _man_."

"It hurts worse when you know it's coming," Kanan defended.

"That was blindsiding," Ezra whispered, leaning to lay on his side on the bench. Everything hurt as Hera dug through the emergency kit and pulled out a splint. She approached him, applying the object carefully, and Ezra was slightly confused as to how her touch didn't hurt.

Before she stepped away she said, "Maybe you'll think twice before doing something so rash again."

"Doubt it," Sabine grunted.

Ezra glared darkly in her direction before shutting his eyes briefing. It seemed the shock of it had even caused a painful throbbing in his jaw and teeth which he didn't understand. They were no-where near his wrist but nevertheless, it hurt.

He heard Kanan say, "Once we're out of the Compound I'll give you some pain meds. They're bound to knock you out though so I don't want to risk giving them to you before we know we can get out of this mess easily."

"What about the supplies?" Zeb questioned. "We haven't got enough to last the rest of the journey."

"We'll figure it out," Hera reassured, moving toward the front and cranking up the vehicle, "There's another Compound not far from here. We can get there by sundown, I think."

The woman sat behind the driver's seat and put the RV into gear. Ezra steadied himself from where he was lying down before sitting up fully and having to hold down bile rising in his throat. Chopper was nudging his thigh with his leg, but Ezra simply shooed the animal away. He couldn't think right now and he wasn't feeling well.

He stood, stumbling a bit from the movement of the vehicle and his general off-balance. Kanan grabbed his elbow to steady him, but Ezra waved him off much like the had done Chopper before moving to the back of the RV and flopping down on the bed. He curled into a ball, trying to soothe his untamed stomach.

His mind drifted briefly, swirling with the ache from his wrist. He thought about the Alliance again, and he worried. He worried so much it only made the pain worse. How would they get there now? Fulcrum was bound to be losing patience with them, they had run into so many delays. She was probably ready to send out an entire team to drag them there.

Ezra wasn't sure how much time passed with his eyes closed and his mind drifting. He was beginning to forget what he was even thinking about in the first place when someone shook his shoulder suddenly. His eyes opened slowly and he saw Kanan's hand holding out a pill. Ezra took it in his hand and didn't question it, but went ahead and popped it in his mouth and swallowed.

It was only after the fact that Ezra asked, "What was that?"

"Pain meds," Kanan replied. "It looks like we're going to be here for a while."

Ezra's eyebrows furrowed and he looked around. The sun had faded and he felt utterly confused. How long had he been dozing? He shook his head, looked at Kanan but found his vision was beginning to swirl. How strong was that pill?

"Why?"

Kanan sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. Ezra also felt as Chopper jumped up behind him and curled up. Kanan folded his hands together and explained, "They're quarantining the compound. No one leaves, no one comes in. So we're just kind of…stuck."

Ezra felt panic in his chest, but it was dulled by the effects of the pain smothering pill. He shook his head and whispered miserably, "They're going to scan me. They're going to scan me and then take me away."

"No they're not," Kanan snapped a bit more forcefully than he had meant to. Ezra flinched and Kanan's face softened. "I won't let them."

Ezra dropped his head down on the mattress and allowed the meds to begin to swallow him whole. He didn't want to talk about his fear right now. Even though the blinding pain had gone, it was now replaced with a fiercer thing. Numbness. And he hated that just as much, because at least when he could feel he knew how he should act. But right now he was floating on a cloud, wondering what should be done about everything.

The last thing the boy was aware of was the warmth of an afghan being thrown over him.

* * *

Kanan finished silently adjusting the afghan over Ezra before backing out of the room, leaving the boy and his dog to curl up on the bed together and slumber. Kanan slid the doors shut silently before turning to face the other members of the crew. Hera stood near the front, concern in her features as Zeb sat at the booth and Sabine stood at the sink. The other two members just looked annoyed. A bit of a roadblock. But Kanan and Hera knew better. They knew what this could turn into.

He wanted to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how to. If he couldn't even make a young fourteen-year-old believe he was safe from the claws of the Empire, how could he possibly convince a grown woman the same thing?

He couldn't.

He had tried many times to comfort Hera in the past. He had tried to comfort her after her mother and father…But she had pushed him away. It had made him feel rather weak in all honesty because well…She had comforted him after Janus. She had held him. And he had cried on her shoulder. But she hadn't even shed a tear to him. She hadn't let him in.

That hurt sometimes.

Why wouldn't she just let him in?

Of course she could say the same. He rarely let her in. Rarely…So rarely. It had become a wall between them. Their emotions and their pain. The things they kept bottled up and hidden away in the catacombs of their minds and hearts. When Kanan used to drink he had been so open about what he felt, but when he stopped that openness had gone away.

Maybe that's why he tried so hard when it came to Ezra. Why they both tried so hard. They didn't want his heart and his emotions to be like theirs. They didn't want him to build that wall. They didn't want him to suffer.

Because God knows Ezra had suffered enough.

"You know what I'm thinking," Kanan said, staring Hera in the eyes.

Hera bit her lip and looked away, her face turning a bit pink with frustration. Sabine and Zeb glanced nervously at each other, like two children caught between their parents' gunfire. Hera looked at Kanan and breathed, "So you wanna just run off…Find out what's happening and what? Leave us here? Leave us while Ezra is practically sedated-"

"I didn't sedate him."

"That's not the point," Hera groaned, holding up her hands. "We should stay here. We should stay and we should wait until they lift the quarantine."

"You heard what they said when we drove up there," Kanan huffed. "They're going to go around and scan people at random. We can't risk them choosing our RV."

Really, to Hera the entire conversation at the gate had been a blur. They had been one of the first RVs to arrive at the front gate and one of the first to be sent away.

Hera adverted her eyes and put her hands on her hips as she whispered, "So you want to go investigate? You want to see if you can find a way out of here? Well let me tell you, it's stupid. It's stupid because we are not prepared to _run._ We have no supplies, no fuel, and you just _sedated_ Ezra."

" _Stop_ saying that," Kanan snapped. "It was pain medicine and I didn't want to worry him about what is going on right now."

Hera crossed her arms, "We can't keep shielding him. We can't keep protecting him from things we don't want him to experience, it only makes it worse and it only upsets him."

"He has been through enough already if I can save him even the slightest amount of pain I will!"

"You're doing more harm than good!"

"Alright!" Zeb interrupted, standing suddenly from where he was seated. He looked between the two with an incredulous look, unable to believe what they were saying. Of all the times to argue about something like this, they had to pick now. They had to pick when they were in one of the most sensitive situations of their entire journey.

One screw up could have them cornered.

Zeb breathed, "Alright…Quiet, both of you. Honestly look at yourselves, you're bickering over a kid being put to bed early, my God."

Zeb looked at Kanan and ordered, "You go and see if you can overhear anything with the troopers. But take Sabine along, understand? We don't need you making any risky decisions without one of our input."

The man then turned his attention to Hera and continued, "I'll stay here with you and we'll keep an eye on the Ghost and on the kid since you're worried something bad is going to happen while he's out cold. With both of us here and both of them there we're bound to stand a good chance."

Zeb looked among his peers, waiting for someone to argue or to say anything in general. However, they all remained completely silent.

Zeb sighed in relief, "Ok…Good. Good…Now get going, both of you. We'll be waiting when you get back. If you're not back within the hour then we can assume something happened and we need to worry."

Everyone glanced at each other a moment. It wasn't often that someone other than Hera or Kanan took charge, so when it did happen, everyone was a bit taken aback. Sabine was the first to move, grabbing her weapon's belt and slipping it on her waist before slipping out through the door into the night enveloped world. Kanan grabbed his gun as well and followed behind her, giving one last glance towards Hera before slamming the door shut.

Once into the chill of the night, Kanan let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. He caught up with Sabine easily.

"Well that was interesting," Sabine chuckled quietly. "You and Hera apparently had some issues that needed talking over."

Kanan's shoulders slumped, "Honestly…I didn't even know there were issues that needed talking about. I think we're all just a little…Stretched thin right now. We're so close to getting to the Alliance, but it seems like every time things calm down something else follows up with more bullshit."

The rock path crunched below their feet. Kanan looked off into the distance towards where the entrance gate was. There were several trucks in the darkness, shining their bright lights among the soldiers that stood talking. Sabine waited a long time before saying, "You've both lost a lot recently. And I think there's a lot of bitterness over it right now. Not towards each other, but towards the Empire. You both express that pain in different ways."

Kanan swallowed. It was true, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it anymore. Some people think that talking about pain helped, but Kanan felt like it was like twisting a knife in his abdomen.

So, he allowed the silence to overtake them.

They moved towards the lights, listening as people spoke in their respective RVs and as they continued to sound panicked and disturbed by all of the unfolding events. Nothing would calm them until they managed to escape the walls of the compound.

Kanan waited until they were close enough to be noticed before he went into a crouching position, motioning for Sabine to do the same thing. The two of them ducked quietly behind one of the trucks parked further away from the group that had formed around the front gates. Kanan hadn't gotten a good look at them yet, but if he had to guess, they were probably all troopers.

Their speaking was quiet and Kanan had to strain his ears to be able to hear what they were saying to each other. He heard one of the troopers with a rough, smoker's voice say, "I don't know why they're bothering to send in officials for this. We don't need the top dogs sticking their noses in."

"I agree," Another voice, a woman trooper, replied. "Over the radio they talked like it somehow interested them…I mean sure it's rare for a Corpse to get into a Compound, but to send in high ranks? Seems a little overkill."

Sabine scoffed and whispered, "Everything is overkill with the Empire."

Kanan on the other hand wasn't finding the conversation ironic. But rather…Curious. He agreed with the troopers, sending in high ranking officers did seem strange. He could honestly say he had never heard of such a thing when it came to something like this.

Usually, they would have the compound quarantined and snuffed out. The remaining infected would be picked off and then the compound would be back open for business. These settlements lived on the money they made from trade, and the Empire loved to tax. So it didn't make much sense for them to slow things down long enough to let higher ups arrive to check the situation out.

It made no sense. None at all and that worried Kanan extremely.

The man paused his thinking when he heard the loud sound of a military vehicle pulling through the gates. Both he and Sabine peered over the hood of the vehicle they were shielding themselves behind. The vehicle parked only a few feet away from where the troopers were standing and gossiping. All of them stood up straight and went into salutes immediately.

Kanan's curiosity soon turned into horror when he watched who exited the vehicle.

Agent Kallus and the Inquisitor.

Janus' murderer.

Kanan had to fight the urge to jump over the vehicle and fire a bullet right between the Inquisitor's eyes. He truly had to practice the self-restraint he didn't think he processed. An animal like urge was forming within him and he wanted nothing more than to watch the life fade from the man's eyes. He wanted to kill him. He had never wanted to kill someone more.

Sabine placed a hand on Kanan's shoulder and whispered quietly, "Kanan?"

"Kanan…Are you ok?"

Kanan swallowed…

"I'm fine, Sabine."

She lowered her hand…She didn't look convinced in the slightest. The air around them had changed from anxiety into anger and rage and she was drowning under it. But she didn't argue, instead she turned her attention back towards where the other two men had arrived.

"Agent Kallus," The trooper with the smoker's voice greeted. "And Inquisitor. It's an honor to have you visit our compound. How can we be of service?"

The Inquisitor chuckled lightly, "I think the question is…How can we be of service? We've been informed that you have a bit of a Corpse issue. Such a rare problem in this day and age. Most compounds have eradicated the presence of Corpses."

"We thought we had too," His rough voice replied. "Yet here we are…So why might I ask that you took an interest?"

Both the Inquisitor and Kallus were silent a long moment before the Inquisitor shrugged his shoulders in Kallus' direction. Kallus sighed, obviously knowing he was going to be the one placed with the job of explaining whatever their reasoning was. Something within Kanan dropped though…He felt like he knew.

He knew.

"We've just been on the lookout for suspicious activity," Kallus began, giving a fake smile. "There has been a small group of…Rebels traveling. We've been trailing them. So, anytime we hear of anything particularly interesting, we have a look."

"Rebels eh?" The woman trooper inquired. "How sad. Don't these people have anything better to do? Maybe if they worked and contributed to society we would be farther in rebuilding our nation than we are at the moment."

"I couldn't agree more," Kallus hummed.

Kanan could feel rage burning in the pit of his belly. But he didn't have much time to ponder on it. He was suddenly struck hard on the back of his skull, sending him slamming down into the dirt below him. He heard Sabine grunt in the same sort of pain, her small voice groaning quietly from the strike.

It took Kanan a moment to gather himself and he looked up, finding a flashlight being shone in his face and a gun pointed directly at him. He looked over, seeing Sabine to be in the same situation. He immediately reprimanded himself through his swimming mind. How could they not have noticed someone coming up behind them?

"Sir!" The trooper called and Kanan growled.

" _Shut up. Shut up. Shut up."_

Kanan staggered to his feet, Sabine following in suit as the sounds of footsteps approach. The trooper poked Kanan in the side and ordered harshly, "Hands up, now! Or I'll shoot you!"

Kanan coughed, dust flying all around them and he suddenly found that they were surrounded by four more troopers, along with the two faces of evil.

Kallus and the Inquisitor both wore shit-eating grins. Kanan wanted to throw his hand out and slam his fist into their faces. But he didn't. He restrained himself. The risk of getting him and Sabine killed before being able to warn the others was too big of a chance. So he held his breath and he bit his tongue, waiting for the torture that was sure to follow.

"Well well…Caleb Dume," The Inquisitor hummed. "I had a feeling I'd find you in the compound."

Kanan failed at holding back…

He spat directly in the man's face.

The Inquistor only flinched slightly before wiping away the saliva and punching Kanan square in the gut. He reached for Kanan's belt, ripping off the man's weapons and doing the same to Sabine. The Inquisitor sighed, "I don't know why I thought you would possibly be more docile than last time. I should have guessed after I shot…What was he to you again?"

"Shut up," Kanan hissed. "I don't want to hear your useless taunting. Why the hell are you here?"

"I think you know why we're here, Mr. Dume," Kallus sighed, rolling his eyes. "Where is the boy?"

"What boy?" Sabine interjected, tilting her head in Kanan's direction. "Do you know about any boy?"

Sabine gasped suddenly when a hand struck her across the face and the Inquisitor growled, "Quiet, insolent girl. We weren't addressing you."

Kanan attempted to move forward, but the gun pointed into his side only jabbed harder. He glared icily at the Inquisitor, his fingers trembling heavily. He wanted to scream. He wanted to kick and he wanted to punch his way out of here. He wanted to not care about dying. He wanted Sabine to not be here risking her life. He wanted so many other things than this.

"I'm going to kill you."

The words were menacing and Kanan was slightly shocked they had come out of his own mouth. But he kept his glare steady. He kept his jaw set. However, it didn't withdraw the reaction he desired. In face the Inquisitor only smiled slightly, giving a tilt of his chin.

"Troopers," The Inquisitor ordered calmly. "I want you to search through every white RV you see. When you come across a young boy with dark hair and blue eyes, detain him and bring him to me. Whoever else is with him is considered undesirable. They can be disposed of."

Kanan lunged forward immediately…

Darkness swallowed him when the butt of a gun made contact with his temple.


	12. Broken Places

AN: Wow! I actually got this updated in a decent amount of time. Go me! Also, go you guys for all the sweet and kind reviews. That's probably what motivated me so much haha! But seriously, thank you all so much for giving me feedback. I really appreciate you all for reading this story and sticking with it. I love all of you. Enjoy! And leave a review if you like it! :)

Chapter Twelve

" _Broken Places"_

Sleep didn't evade Ezra for the first time in forever.

In all actuality, it was the best sleep he had, had since before his parents' deaths. He was as still as a stone and when he woke blearily, he didn't think he had moved at all from where he was before. Chopper was still curled into his back on the bed and he felt stiff. Ezra stretched slightly, tuning his ears to get an idea of what it was that woke him.

It was still dark outside from what he could tell. At this point he would expect the others to be in their own slumber. However, he heard speaking. Loud speaking involving Hera and Zeb's voices. Banging…Someone was banging on the door and Ezra cringed slightly, his moppy head shaking from side to side.

Chopper stirred a bit at the noise as well and the dog lifted its head, looking towards the sliding door that was closed. Ezra sat up slowly, staring as well as he waited for someone to say something he could understand. Even though the two were loud, he wasn't making out any of the words.

And then shouting and stomping began.

Ezra's heart quickened in his chest immediately, confusion and fear mixing together. He hadn't time to move from his spot when the sliding door ripped open suddenly and a flashlight was shone in his face. He was horrified to see a trooper standing before him, and behind him he saw Zeb and Hera fending off two others.

Ezra gasped when his ankles were grabbed and he was pulled to the edge of the bed before being yanked to his feet and dragged out of the room by his arms. Ezra flailed and kicked as the trooper shouted, "Got the kid!"

Just as Hera smashed one trooper in the face and Zeb kicked another in the abdomen, Chopper jumped out of the room, sinking his teeth into the trooper holding Ezra's arms. The trooper screamed, shaking his arm crazily.

The man who had been hit in the face by Hera pulled his gun, but the one who was struck in the abdomen shouted, "Don't shoot! It could ricochet into the kid!"

Hera took this opportunity to kick the man back down the stairs and out of the door. He fell to the ground in a heap, Zeb slamming his fist into the other's face and throwing him out as well. It was then that Chopper released his own victim and both adults removed the third and final trooper.

Hera didn't hesitate to rush to the front of the RV and start the engine before driving away. Zeb shut the door, locking it and Ezra cringed when he felt the Ghost smash right over the three men on the ground and continue to barrel down the streets of the compound. Ezra grabbed a hold of the table, looking at Zeb with wide eyes as both breathed heavily.

"What was that?!" Ezra asked, his hands trembling. "How'd they find us?!"

Zeb groans and rubbed his fist. Ezra could relate, his splinted wrist was still throbbing. Zeb replied, "No idea…We had just started to worry because Sabine and Kanan have been gone for some time…They must have found them when they went to eavesdrop."

"They went to eavesdrop?" Ezra questioned, worry falling into line within him. If Sabine and Kanan had been caught, then they obviously had to do something. His mind immediately drifted to his parents…About them being gone so long and then reappearing, only to be burned at the stake. Ezra clenched his uninjured fist and said, "Where was I when this was happening?"

Zeb looked confused, "You were doped up on pain meds, remember?"

Vaguely. Ezra shook his head and looked out the window. They were pulling into an alley of some sort, obviously to shield them from the view of the Empire. The vehicle came to a complete halt and Hera reentered the main room, her face pink in the dull light from the lamps in the night. She looked to be just as shocked as the two males, adrenaline coming to a screeching stop.

"I knew they shouldn't have gone," Was the first thing Hera said. Ezra was still confused, obviously having missed too many points in the earlier conversation to have an opinion. "I told _him_ …Damn it, I told that man…"

A long string of curses followed and Ezra didn't think he had ever seen Hera lose her cool like this. She was pacing, her head low as she did so and murmured to herself. Ezra slowly sat down in the booth, his head still swimming a bit from the meds. He held his splint close and chewed on his bottom lip, wanting to ask so many things, but not being able to.

Ezra jumped when Hera suddenly stopped pacing and grabbed the radio. She turned the dial several times, the static filling the room besides their heavy breathing. Zeb watched with a sorry expression and Ezra simply had wide eyes in confusion and concern. Hera never acted this way. Never. She was always calm and collected, but then again he hadn't been with her when himself and Kanan had disappeared after Vizago. This could be the norm for all he knew.

"Hera?" Ezra whispered as she fumbled with the radio. She didn't turn to look at him but he continued anyway, "What're you doing?"

"Contacting Fulcrum," Hera replied. "This is way out of our league. We need their help."

Ezra jumped when Chopper approached, putting his head on Ezra's knee. It was as if the dog could sense the air of distress in the room. Ezra patted him, then returned to cradling his wrist. Suddenly the radio lit up, obviously finding the channel Hera had been looking for.

Fulcrum's voice spoke calmly, " _Fulcrum to Ghost, can you hear me?"_

"Yes," Hera answered, ducking her head to take a deep breath. "Fulcrum we have an emergency. The Empire has taken Sabine and Kanan and Zeb, Ezra, and I were just attacked in the Ghost. We managed to fend them off but I don't know how long our hiding place will hold out."

Fulcrum was silent a moment before asking, _"Are you three alright? Is Ezra alright?"_

"We're fine, he's fine," Hera replied. "I just need to know what our course of action should be. We're only about a day's drive from the Alliance, we're in the Jeccon Compound…"

Fulcrum answered, her voice changing from concerned to that of a leader in mere seconds. Ezra tensed at it as she ordered, _"Stay low. Don't do anything risky and certainly don't get involved. If they have Sabine and Kanan they'll most likely attempt to use them as bait. Don't fall for it. If you are presented with the chance to escape however, take it. I'm sending a team and they're on their way now. I will accompany them to oversee it. If you can't get out, then hide. Don't draw attention to yourselves."_

"Wait," Ezra said, his stomach churning. "You want us to sit back while they have Sabine and Kanan hostage? That's insane! By the time you get here they could already be dead!"

" _Ezra, listen to me,"_ Fulcrum said in a low tone. _"You are too important for us to be risking-"_

"How many times do I have to tell you people this? I don't care!" Ezra shouted. It reminded him of the Nibs…Of Kanan holding him back from saving those people because he was 'too important'. He was not too important. He was not any more deserving. And Kanan and Sabine sure as hell were more deserving.

He continued, "We can't just sit back and let them kill our friends!"

" _Hera, speak to him,"_ Fulcrum ordered and Ezra knew that she was near ending the conversation as static started to get too heavy. _"We will be there as soon as we can. I have to go now, do not do anything risky. Over and out."_

And she was gone.

Ezra wanted to scream.

"She can't be serious!" Ezra exclaimed, standing from his seat. Both Zeb and Hera were watching him as he went on, "She can't honestly expect us to do nothing!"

Hera bit her lip and reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Ezra…Honey…We can't go against Fulcrum's orders. She's right, it's too risky for us to try and get them out, especially with the type of security they're going to have around them."

Ezra stood there a moment, stunned. His eyes widened and his breath stopped completely. Tears stung and threatened to spill over at the sudden realization that both Zeb and Hera were on the same side. They were going to _wait._ They were actually going to obey Fulcrum's orders to wait for reinforcements and that burned into Ezra's blood like fire.

Fulcrum hadn't been any help thus far. Suddenly he felt like Kanan but…It was true. Fulcrum hadn't done anything. They had gotten most of the way on their own, and now suddenly they were supposed to wait for Fulcrum to arrive before moving forward anymore…

Ezra yanked away…

"I'm not leaving them," Ezra whispered, his eyes becoming two pools of blue. "They're our _family_."

He continued in a whisper, "We can't leave them to die, Hera."

Hera swallowed thickly and shut her eyes a moment before cupping the boy's cheeks hurriedly to stop herself from losing composure. She took a deep breath and spoke softly, "You have to understand why we're waiting…Ezra, we aren't enough to save them."

"And I wasn't enough to save my parents," Ezra's voice was cracking as he moved back further from her touch and backed away towards the door.

"I will _never_ feel that helpless again, I _can't._ I won't be able to take it."

Zeb spoke in a deep sigh, "Kid-"

"No!" Ezra shouted, his chest shaking heavily. "You guys don't get it. I watched my mom and dad _burn_. I watched them practically…e-evaporate and I just stood there and _watched!"_

He grabbed both sides of his head and sobbed, "I _can't, I can't_ do that again! I can't take it again!"

Ezra's hands moved from his head and he was suddenly gripping his stomach as pain radiated through him. It wasn't tangible. He wasn't sure where it was coming from. But it was there. It was there every time he sucked in a breath and every time he thought of his parents or Kanan or Sabine. It felt like his skin was being shredded and his insides were being held in a vice grip.

Ezra didn't know what he was doing when he was bolting for the door, but he was suddenly aware that Zeb had grabbed him before he could get out of the Ghost. The large man held him back easily, slamming the door shut again. Ezra shut his eyes, unable to breathe. He was falling…Falling and smacking the ground repeatedly, and Zeb's touch felt like barbed wire and needles in his skin. He only struggled a moment, vaguely hearing both Zeb and Hera ordering for him to calm down, but he _couldn't._

Zeb released him when Ezra went lax and the boy fell to his knees, gripping his stomach as he tried to catch air into his lung. His emotions were boiling over and the thought of them just sitting on the sidelines like he had done with his mother and father was beginning to sink into him like leeches.

"It hurts, _it hurts_ ," Ezra sobbed, bending over and putting his forehead on the floor. "Makes it stop, it hurts."

"Ezra," Hera whispered softly, kneeling in front of him and touching his arms lightly. "You're having a panic attack, sweetheart. Calm down."

Ezra looked up and he couldn't believe…He couldn't believe that. Because this felt so real. It felt like he was _dying._ The idea that his mind was betraying him and causing such damage to his physical self was too much to believe. He looked around, but everything was blurring around the edges of his vision and it felt like he was going to pass out as his breathing continued to be rapid.

He felt Hera's hand wrap around his own and she ordered calmly, "Breathe deeply."

Ezra tried, but every time he brought air into his lungs, his breath hitched. He followed her breathing though, and soon the edges of his vision began to come back into focus and the sudden adrenaline he had felt left in a surge. He was still trembling, gripping Hera's hand tightly as he blinked, scraping up what was left of his dignity.

Ezra looked over at Zeb who was now sitting close by at the booth right next to them. He looked shocked…Concerned. The boy felt slight guilt, having obviously shocked both adults by his sudden emotional breakdown. Chopper was away, sitting and staring. The dog didn't understand…And Ezra was glad because Chopper would be the only thing in the world who didn't look at him differently after this.

He finally reestablished eye contact with Hera and she asked kindly, "You ok?"

Ha. Ok? Ok was…He was far from ok.

Ezra shook his head and said, "They're our family."

Ezra then looked between the two of them as they watched on, listening to the boy's tired and weak voice…

"We're all a family, aren't we?"

Hera glanced at Zeb who blinked before she looked back at Ezra. She felt a tightness in her chest as she confirmed, "We are."

"Then we _shouldn't_ wait," Ezra insisted, gripping her hand tighter. "We can't."

Ezra knew he had struck something when Hera's eyes widened and then shrunk again. The woman seemed to ponder a long moment from where they sat on the floor. She was silent, her eyes on the ground and her fingers tapping restlessly. Her lips parted and closed repeatedly and Ezra could only wonder what was moving through her head.

"You're right."

Ezra's heart jumped with joy in that moment. He let out a sigh of relief as she went on, "When the sun rises, we'll go into town and see if we can find anything out. Until then though, we rest."

Ezra couldn't stop himself. The fourteen-year-old leaped forward, wrapping his arms tightly around the woman and hugging her fiercely. She hugged back just as strong and Ezra shut his eyes, telling himself the smoke and the fire would never happen again.

He would never be helpless again.

* * *

Kanan woke to a throbbing in his skull.

The man groaned quietly, trying to make his neck cooperate and lift his head. His fingers curled and when he pulled at his arms, he felt a tight pressure around his wrists and heard the rattling of metal against metal. This jarred the man's subconscious enough to make his head snap up at attention, his eyes blinking blearily in the dimness of the room.

He looked at his hands, seeing that they were handcuffed to a metal chair. A lightbulb was placed directly above his head and the chair was at in the center of the room. Much to his distaste and a bit of terror though…By the door stood a tall and slim figure.

The Inquisitor.

The monster was smirking, his eyes cold and relentless. He looked too smug and Kanan wanted nothing more in the world than to kick the man's teeth in. He yanked a bit at his restraints and the Inquisitor only tsked at the action.

"Now, now," The Inquisitor scolded lightly. "You've only just woken. No need to want to leave so hastily."

Kanan sneered, "Where is she?"

"She?" The Inquisitor raised an eyebrow before realization formed on his face. "Oh…You mean the rebel girl. Well she's quite fine…For now. Possibly for longer if you cooperate with my questions."

Kanan chuckled icily, "Do I look like the cooperating type to you?"

The Inquisitor stepped forward suddenly, digging a taser deep into the man's neck. Kanan gritted his teeth, a painful shock shooting through his body and causing all of his muscles to go entirely rigid. His back arched and he shut his eyes, riding through the pain as he waited for the other man to remove the weapon that was assaulting his body.

When the shocking stopped and the Inquisitor stepped back, Kanan gasped. Several deep breaths were taken as he tried to gain control over his reaction. He didn't want to give the man satisfaction by showing pain. He didn't want to make him feel any better in his miserable existence as he tortured and stood for the human personification of hate.

"Possibly you can be molded into 'that type'," The Inquisitor hummed, beginning to pace before him. He stopped before shrugging slightly, "I'm the kind of person who likes to get right down to business. So, I'm going to go ahead and ask…What do you know about this 'immune child'?"

Kanan scoffed, "Screw off."

He shouted again when the taser was returned to his neck and after a few moments, removed again. The Inquisitor sighed, "I'll ask one more time. What do you know about the boy?"

"As much as you do," Kanan seethed, spitting onto the floor.

The Inquisitor rolled his eyes, "And why do I find that so unlikely?"

"Because you're a pessimist? Going out on a limb here."

Kanan groaned when he was suddenly kicked in the stomach. He doubled over in pain as the other man growled, "Your sarcasm lacks taste. Try harder."

The kick took a few more moments to recover from compared to the shocks from the taser. Kanan gripped the armrests and stared up into the cold eyes. He wanted to light the other man on fire. He had killed Janus and had shown no remorse. He had overseen the execution of his mother. Of course, Kanan had killed Imperials without remorse but it was…It was different, he swore it was.

But then again, maybe it wasn't.

The only person he had ever met who had felt any sort of guilt over murdering someone on the opposite side had been Ezra. Ezra always felt _so damn_ guilty over everything. Even after Tápusk, and that guy had been trying to kill Ezra. He had tried to strangle a child to death, and yet Ezra was the one left feeling remorse.

So maybe Kanan was wrong. Maybe it wasn't so different between himself and the Inquisitor after all. Or any Imperial for that matter.

But he knew it _could_ be. He had seen it.

"Caleb Dume," The Inquisitor snapped, obviously growing impatient. "What do you know about the boy? Don't make me bring the young girl into this. I could very well bring her in here and give her shocks in your place, is that what you want?"

Kanan's mouth drew open. No…That's not what he wanted at all. He didn't want Sabine to be tortured in his place. He didn't want her to be tortured at any time. She was strong…But Kanan couldn't do that to her. His lips tightened a bit in a line…He was going to have to give up _some_ information. But if he could convince the Inquisitor he didn't know very much, well…He could save Sabine and himself a lot of pain.

"Alright," Kanan relented. "Don't hurt her."

The Inquisitor smirked, "Well then go on. Answer my question. What do you know about the boy?"

Kanan sighed, doing his best to look convincingly at a loss, "I'm being honest when I say, not that much. The Alliance doesn't tell us a lot, because of these types of situations. What I know is that he was bitten several months ago. The Alliance found out two months after the fact from a correspondent who knew the boy within the Lothal Compound. The Alliance contacted us and asked up to pick up a _package,_ not even informing us the package was a human being. That's all I know about him…"

"Hmmm," The Inquisitor pondered quietly. "And his name?"

Kanan was silent and the Inquisitor rolled his eyes, "I know you learned his name. He has been with you for several months now. His fake ID said Dev Morgan and I heard you call him Ezra last time we met. So who is he really?"

Kanan bit his tongue. He had given up the information that he found to be less than important, things that the Inquisitor would eventually find out on his own. But Ezra's name…He didn't want to throw that out. He didn't want to give that over.

"Mr. Dume," The Inquisitor stated. "Don't make me get the girl."

Kanan tightened his hands into fists as he growled under his breath…

"Ezra."

Kanan watched as the man who had overseen the execution of his mother and practically executed Janus raised an eyebrow and pushed, "Ezra what?"

He didn't want to say it, but what could it really do? If they already knew Ezra's first name, why did the last name even make a difference? If he lied, the Inquisitor would probably know he was. He would see it all over his face. And he just didn't understand…It felt like he was betraying Ezra somehow by giving up his surname, even though there wasn't much of a chance of it being used against them. The risk of Sabine being punished for the lie was too great…The last name wasn't worth that risk.

Kanan swallowed, "Ezra Bridger."

It was like vinegar.

The Inquisitor's eyes widened a bit, but he was quick to return them to normal. Kanan tilted his head slightly, confused by the reaction. Sure, the boy's parents had been known for the Rebel Broadcasts…Bridger was well known among rebels but to the Empire…Well it shouldn't have caused such a reaction. Kanan watched as the Inquisitor reached into his belt, pulling out an already filled syringe.

Kanan snapped, "I told you what you wanted to know."

"Yes," The Inquisitor confirmed. "And now it is time to bring the boy to us."

Kanan didn't get to respond as the needle was suddenly shoved into his neck. He groaned, his vision immediately going blurred and his head lulling forward slightly.

Then darkness.

* * *

Ezra sat waiting for the sun to come up over the horizon. He stared, sitting at the edge of the alley in the run-down portion of the city, staring up at the sky, praying for the light to just skim over the edge so that he could run to Hera and tell her that it was dawn and they could go looking through the town to find information about Sabine and Kanan.

The boy pulled his knees tighter to his chest, his body aching from the panic attack from earlier. He had panicked before, but not to such an extent. It had been shocking really, like a cattle prod, to be in such loss of control of his emotions and his own body. It was like someone had stepped into his brain and slid into his skin for the moment.

His stomach was still hurting.

"Hey kid," Ezra heard and he looked up, seeing Zeb was standing beside him. He hadn't even heard the elder man approach and he blinked several times in the dim lighting before forcing a small smile.

"Hey," Ezra greeted.

Zeb gestured to the place on the ground beside Ezra and he asked quietly, "Mind if I sit?"

"Sure," Ezra nodded, and watched as the man sat slowly, his legs straight out in front of him and his arms going behind him in a relaxed position. There was silence several minutes, neither of them speaking, but both staring and waiting for the sun to peak.

Ezra jumped when Zeb broke the peaceful silence by saying quietly, "I know how you feel."

He looked over at Zeb, tilting his head slightly and his eyebrows furrowing down in confusion. Zeb chuckled at the reaction before removing himself from the relaxed position and sitting forward a bit to explain himself.

"I know why you see the crew as your family," Zeb elaborated. "Because I do as well."

Ezra swallowed. On a normal day, he would have never had said such things. Because voicing feelings aloud tested fate and he felt as if speaking them aloud endangered the things and the people he loved. The last people he had viewed openly as his family had been snatched out of his life. And earlier he had been right…It hadn't just been the panic talking…He couldn't survive that again. He couldn't.

Zeb continued, "After…After my family was murdered…My entire Clan, Compound if you will…Well, I was alone for several years after. I didn't reach out to anyone. I didn't want to. Being attached was dangerous and I thought that if I ever allowed myself to care about people, I would have to experience that same loss over again."

Ezra was quiet and Zeb went on, "But then I met the crew. Obviously at first I refused to get attached, but it's almost impossible with them. And they've grown into my family. _You've_ grown into my family. So, I don't want you to feel like you're the only one who feels that way, because I know how you feel, kiddo."

Ezra bit his lip, his mind moving to his parents. The loss of them. The child asked meekly, "Do you miss them? Your old family I mean…Does it ever stop hurting?"

Zeb let out a deep breath, "I miss them every second, every minute, of every day. I miss them so much sometimes it aches. But these people that surround us…They dull it enough to make it bearable."

Ezra felt his eyes sting and he looked away. Weeks ago, he would have never imagined having such a conversation with Zeb. But now it was so easy. Speaking was so easy. Ezra shut his eyes, the rising sun beginning to warm his face and he whispered, "Thank you."

Zeb patted his shoulder, "Don't mention it, kid."

When Ezra opened his eyes, dawn had risen and the sun was glowing the world around him. He looked at Zeb with wide eyes and Zeb nodded his head before they both stood. A voice called from behind them back down in the alley, "You two ready?!"

Both turned to see Hera there, her gun on her hip and Chopper standing beside her with his tongue hanging open. Ezra and Zeb glanced at each other and Zeb called back, "Yep, we're ready!"

* * *

When Kanan woke for the second time, he was being yanked to his feet and his hands were being handcuffed behind his back.

The man groaned in discomfort, his head swimming from the drugs and his neck aching from the needle that had been used to inject them. He blinked, struggling to place his feet under him because he was being forced to stand roughly. He looked around, seeing a couple of troopers doing the assault and not far from him was Sabine, getting the same treatment.

Though she appeared to be drugless.

Kanan studied his surroundings, finding he was in the back of a prisoner transport truck. His mind tried to process where he had been before and what he was doing here now, but he couldn't seem to put two and two together through the haze. He looked at Sabine who was staring at him, her eyes burning with rage towards the troopers.

The doors to the truck were yanked open suddenly and Kanan found himself being blinded by bright sunlight. He groaned audibly, before he was forced to take shaky steps towards the light and climb down only to be yanked forward again by other troopers.

Kanan looked back as Sabine stepped down and he asked groggily, "You ok?"

"Me?" Sabine asked, surprised. "You're the one that looks like crap."

Despite the situation, Kanan chuckled. He didn't know if it was relief that she seemed ok or if it was the drugs, but he replied, "Thanks."

"Well you two seem awfully relaxed," Kanan glared when Kallus and the Inquisitor approached. Kallus' voice was smug and confident and Kanan found he hadn't missed the man's presence during his interrogation, though the reasoning for that was obvious. The Inquisitor was thoroughly dangerous, but Kallus? He was confident without reason.

Sabine sighed, "We mine as well be, right? Not much else to do."

"That's the spirit," Kallus hummed. He was holding a clipboard like some sort of party planner and for the first time, Kanan processed where they were. They were standing in the center of the compound's market place, very close to where they had been earlier during the scuffle with the Corpse.

Except now in the center was a large platform and standing around it were many citizens of said compound.

Kanan looked confused and the Inquisitor must have noticed because he said, "Impressive, isn't it? Just threatening the destruction of a compound brings out everyone from hiding in their homes. They've all come to watch the show."

"What show?" Kanan asked, his voice becoming more clear by the passing moments.

The Inquisitor explained, "The show we're going to use to lure the boy to us, of course."

"He won't come," Sabine cut in briskly. "We have others protecting him."

The Inquisitor tilted his head, "Trust me, with you two here, he'll come."

Kanan narrowed his eyes coldly, "What makes you so sure?"

"Simple," The Inquisitor moved forward and put a hand on Kanan's shoulder with incredible harshness. "I've only seen you interact with the boy once, but I know what he is to you. And I know what you are to him. He cares about you…So yes…He'll come."

Kanan glared at the Inquisitor as he removed his hand and gestured to the platform in front of the crowd…

"Go on. Step up; we'll see who's correct."

* * *

By the time they had arrived in the same market area as before, the sun had risen almost completely.

Ezra was burning with anticipation, praying and hoping that there would be some sign of Kanan and Sabine, that possibly there would be a whisper among the citizens or even the troopers who were guarding the area. So far, their journey through the alleyways and back streets had been silent, but there weren't exactly many people to run into and overhear.

Chopper bounded happily beside Ezra and the boy felt concern over having brought the animal in the first place. Chopper wouldn't understand if they had to hide. He would be in the way, but after last night Chopper had shown he could be quite helpful in sticky situations.

That was probably the only reason Hera and Zeb had allowed his presence.

They were brisk in their movements, turning right down what seemed like the millionth alley, but the mouth of it led directly into the market place. Ezra held his breath, but paused when he saw a large crowd at the edge of the alley. His fingers curled slightly and he turned his head, looking at Hera before asking, "What are they doing?"

"I don't know," Hera answered, looking pale. "But I don't think it's going to be good."

Ezra gulped down the knot in his throat as the three approached the end of the alley, staring ahead at what the crowd of people seemed to be looking at. They were in the very back of the giant group, hidden slightly behind the brick wall of the building. Ezra's eyes widened and immediately he felt himself being yanked back to the day he watched his mother and father burn at the stake.

Up on the platform that the citizens surrounded were Kallus and the Inquisitor. Several troopers surrounded them as well and a countless number of trucks were in the distance behind. Ezra gripped the bricks, feeling his fingernails burn slightly. On their knees behind the men were Sabine and Kanan, both bound with their hands behind their backs.

Ezra gritted his teeth and he had to fight the urge to move forward and scream. To just stop the entire scene in its tracks. Because it was so similar…So similar…

"Welcome everyone," Kallus greeted, as if the platform were some kind of show. "As you all know, a Corpse entered your compound as of yesterday. But something you may not have realized is this: your compound is also holding Rebels."

A whisper ran through the crowd and Ezra felt his heart skip a beat as Kallus went on, "Don't be alarmed, we've captured two of their comrades, both of which you see behind me. We've called this meeting today to bring to the attention of the remaining Rebels that we will be executing both of them if that do not come forward at this very moment."

A hush slapped through everyone. People glanced at each other, eyes wide and confused. Ezra felt panic rising in him and he felt Hera's hand wrap around his upper arm as if she knew. She knew he wanted to run. She knew he wanted to stop this.

The Inquisitor removed his gun and spoke to the crowd for the first time, "I know you're listening boy. I'm about to shoot this man in the temple. If you have any sort of courage, you'll turn yourself over rather than watch him die."

The crowd was terribly befuddled. Everyone except Ezra, Hera, and Zeb. Even Chopper seemed to understand as he stood stark still, watching the scene before him. Ezra moved a bit and Hera's grip only tightened on his arm.

"Very well," The Inquisitor decided when no one spoke up. "I guess we'll get the first one out of the way. Maybe that will show you how serious this situation truly is."

Ezra's eyes widened when the gun was pressed directly to the side of Kanan's head, and yet the man didn't look afraid in the slightest. Ezra made a frightened sound in the back of his throat, almost like a wounded animal as the Inquisitor readied the gun to fire into the man's skull. Ezra's knees were about ready to give out.

"I'll give you to the count of three," The Inquisitor said.

Ezra swallowed…

"One…"

He gave a bit of a tug.

"Two…"

His pulse spiked.

"And…"

"STOP!"

Ezra wretched himself out of Hera's grip, despite her gasp and Zeb's grab for him. Ezra rushed forward, knowing good and well they wouldn't chase him out of the alley. They were their last chance, they weren't going to turn themselves over as well and risk Fulcrum never finding them again…No, they would let Ezra go. They would take Chopper and fall back into the alley and then go back to contact Fulcrum about what had happened.

Because that was what had to be done.

And Ezra would have to wait.

"Stop!" Ezra shouted again, squeezing through the people as he continued to platform. Once he was directly in front of it, he stared up into the Inquisitor's eyes, feeling cold in an instant. Ezra took in a shaky breath and looked at Kanan who appeared to be shocked the boy had come.

"Ezra no!" Kanan ordered, sounding furious. "Get out of here right now!"

The Inquisitor chuckled deeply, looking down at Kanan and humming, "I told you he'd come."

Ezra's eyes traveled to Sabine who appeared just as dumbstruck that Ezra had appeared. Two troopers poked the boy in his side and forced him up the steps of the platform towards the Inquisitor. He could feel eyes on him, digging into his back as he did so, refusing to break eye contact to even look at Kallus.

The Inquisitor put his gun in the holster, obviously not threatened by the child. The Inquisitor breathed, "And we finally meet formally."

Ezra glanced at Kallus who was glaring. The feeling was mutual. Last time he had seen him his knife had given him a deadly infection…

 _Ironic._ Ezra literally was the walking personification of a deadly infection.

The boy returned his gaze to the Inquisitor as the elder ordered harshly in a quiet tone as not to alert the crowd as to what he was saying, "Show it to me."

Ezra knew what he meant…The bite. The whole reason any of them were in this situation in the first place. Ezra lift his arm where his injured wrist was splinted and the Inquisitor took it sharply, lifting the boy's sleeve to reveal the scar on his forearm, just above where his splint was placed. It made the ache sharp and Ezra cringed slightly. The Inquisitor purposely hid the sight from the people watching, obviously not wanting to alarm them. The Inquisitor called over his shoulder at the people, "Disperse!"

They all seemed too happy to obey, scurrying off in random directions…

The grip on Ezra's arm was so hard it felt like bruising. Ezra glanced at Kanan again and he had to look away. The Inquisitor's gaze was actually less frightening at the moment. And Sabine's was sad…So _disappointed._

But he couldn't do it again. He couldn't sit by and just watch again. Never again.

"There, are you happy now?" Ezra asked, yanking his arm away. His voice trembled, "You've got me, now let them go."

The Inquisitor raised an eyebrow, "When was that ever a part of the deal, hm?"

Ezra immediately felt bile rising in his throat…He hadn't even…He hadn't even thought about it. He had let his childishness get the better of him and yet again he had been out-done. His bravery meant nothing because it was driven by foolish stupidity.

"I-I," Ezra stammered, but didn't get to finish. He was suddenly being yanked forward and pulled towards one of the loading vehicles. He heard both Kanan and Sabine shouting his name but he couldn't make out what exactly was happening with the adrenaline that was pumping through him.

He was thrown into the back of the truck…

And the doors slammed closed.

Darkness.


	13. Scabs

AN: I AM SO STINKING SORRY. This took so long to update, so much longer than I had hoped. Ugh, I'm sorry. I'm a bad person, I know. But I'm hoping you all enjoy this chapter!

Just a quick **NOTE,** Darth Vader makes an appearance. He's obviously not in his suit because well...this is an apocalyptic world and you can guess they wouldn't have lava planets and the technology to keep Anakin alive as a human stump. So, he's a whole person in this story! Just wanted to give a forewarning in case people get confused! Enjoy and let me know what you think with a review! I love all of you and thank you for sticking around so long, especially since I'm a crappy updater.

Chapter Thirteen

" _Scabs"_

Ezra didn't know what to do.

The back of the truck was so dark…Silent and cold. He couldn't even see his hand in front of his face and honestly things couldn't get much worse. His shoulders were trembling and he felt ice in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to scream. He wanted to beat on the sides of the vehicle as it drove through the compound. He wanted to kick the walls. He wanted to hurl himself out of the truck. He wanted to do so many things but he did nothing.

He just sat, his knees curled close to his chest in terror.

" _Oh my God,"_ Ezra thought. _"That was the stupidest thing you've ever done. You didn't even save anyone. You doomed yourself and you doomed your crew."_

Ezra bit his lip to fight down tears. He wouldn't cry here. He couldn't cry here because soon they would open the doors and he would have to show a brave face. But he was still a round cheeked fourteen-year-old. He was barely five feet tall. He was stick thin. How could someone like him look brave?

The answer was: He couldn't.

Ezra cradled his wrist. God, it was starting to hurt again. His fingers were swelling and the splint was putting too much pressure. Ezra leaned his head back against the wall, ignoring the way it bounced when they hit bumps. His heart was hammering so hard in his ribs it felt like a jack-hammer. Why had he been so stupid? He didn't understand himself sometimes.

Kanan was going to be pissed.

The vehicle ride wasn't as long as Ezra expected. He had guessed he was going to be taken from the Compound and driven all the way to the Empire's Capitol. But he wasn't. In fact he knew for sure he still had to be within the compound.

Why weren't they removing him…?

Ezra didn't really understand as he was blinded by light when the doors were yanked open. He took a few steps back when he saw the Inquisitor there, his arms crossed over his chest in a waiting form. Waiting for Ezra to approach or maybe even waiting for him to lash out. Either way, it was unnerving and Ezra only swallowed thickly past the lump in his throat.

"Come here," The man ordered and Ezra hesitated. But he knew deep down there was nothing else he could do to disobey him, so Ezra stepped forward. Once he was in arms reach, the Inquisitor snatched out a hand, gripping Ezra by the arm, and pulling him from the back of the truck.

Ezra took in a harsh breath when his wrist was jostled too much. He glared up at the Inquisitor who gave no sort of apology, not that Ezra expected one. It was almost awkward in fact, the silence that had ensued. They were in front of small abandoned bank and he was being dragged inside before he had time to think. There were several troopers around and after being brought behind the counter of the building, he was shoved into a vault.

Instead of closing the heavy cement door though, the Inquisitor simply shut the thick bars instead. Ezra swallowed and tilted his head, mustering the courage to question sarcastically, "Empire too cheap to build a prison?"

"We have plenty of those," The Inquisitor stated offhandedly, stepping away. "Worthless Compounds like this one however are at the bottom of the list for funds."

Ezra narrowed his eyes, "Worthless as in they don't make you the amount of money that compounds like Lothal do."

"Precisely," The Inquisitor didn't even seem to care and that infuriated Ezra slightly. He gripped his fists, but instead of arguing, simply moved back against the wall of the cell before sitting down on the floor and shutting his eyes.

He was tired.

He didn't rest long though. Within the next five minutes he heard the sound of the bank door opening and Ezra lifted his head, waiting as the Inquisitor did also. A trooper entered, escorting Kanan and Sabine forward towards the cell. Ezra pushed himself to his feet, his eyes wide with shock. He didn't think his friends would be brought to the same holding cell as him. Not in a million years.

And suddenly Ezra was stricken with terror.

Kanan's face was more terrifying than the Inquisitor's.

Through the bars, Kanan was looking at him, his eyebrows drawn downward in a glare and his face red with rage. Ezra stepped back into the wall, regretful by the way he wished Kanan would go away. The doors slid open and the moment Kanan came inside, he made a beeline for Ezra. Ezra put his hands up in a ditch effort to protect himself, but Kanan's hands grabbed onto the boy's upper arms harshly.

Ezra wanted to cry out because of his wrist, but he bit it back. The world started shaking suddenly as Kanan yanked him back and forth uncontrollably, shouting, "Why the hell would you do that!? Why in God's name would you be so stupid?!"

"Kanan stop it!" Ezra heard Sabine order and she attempted to pull him off, but she couldn't.

Ezra couldn't find the words to speak and instead kept his eyes shut as the world shook. When Kanan stopped shaking him, he continued to grip Ezra's arms tightly and asked the silent boy harshly, "Answer me!"

He gave one last rough shake and Ezra felt like the man's fingers were breaking skin. Ezra finally opened his eyes to meet Kanan's that were only inches from his face. Ezra croaked, "I'm sorry…I couldn't…I couldn't do it. I couldn't let him…"

Ezra's breath hitched and he looked down at the ground. He whispered, "I was scared."

"You were scared?" Kanan's voice was different from any other time Ezra had ever heard it. He was truly enraged. He honestly believed Ezra had done something abominable. And maybe he had, but Ezra was selfish. He couldn't watch them die.

Kanan went on, "You should've just closed your eyes."

He made it sound like it was easy, but then Ezra thought…Maybe that's what Kanan had done. Maybe that's how he had handled it when his mother had been put to death. But Ezra wasn't one to close his eyes. He had never been capable of it.

He had watched his parents burn.

He hadn't shut his eyes.

And he couldn't shut them for Kanan and Sabine either.

"No," Ezra growled, bravery creeping into his bones, causing him to look Kanan in the face.

"I won't close my eyes. Not when people are _suffering_."

Ezra paused, "Especially the people I care about."

Kanan stared with his mouth open, no words escaping him. He looked shell shocked. Utterly at a loss for words. It was obvious he hadn't expected Ezra to argue back or to justify why he did what he did for that matter. Kanan's face contorted from that though and moved into one of seriousness.

He grabbed the back of Ezra's neck and pulled his head forward before leaning over him and whispering quietly in his ear, "You've endangered everything-"

Ezra yanked his head away and looked at Kanan with his eyebrows furrowed together but Kanan pulled him forward again forcefully, " _But_ if I know Hera…And I do…She has a plan. And we won't be here long."

Kanan took a deep breath, having calmed himself a bit.

Ezra pulled back, slower this time. He nodded up at him and fought back a small smile. Sabine appeared confused, wondering how the conversation had gone from dire to quiet in just a few moments. Everyone looked towards the bars however when a slow clap filled the room. Ezra tensed, seeing the Inquisitor smiling and staring at them as if they had just performed a play.

"Bravo, really," The Inquisitor chuckled. "I'm more than impressed with that performance. However, I think you're quite wrong, Mr. Dume. Because we've already contacted the Emperor and he's sending his best to come retrieve the boy."

Kanan glared, "I don't suppose I need to guess who his best is."

"Huh?" Ezra whispered. "Who's his best?"

Kanan turned his attention to Ezra and his face looked grave for only a moment before he reached out and squeezed Ezra's arm lightly. Ezra stared at Kanan confused when he heard the Inquisitor chuckle, "You've never heard the children's tales, boy?"

Ezra glared over at the man, breaking his and Kanan's gaze.

"He can't mean…" Sabine trailed off, her eyes wide.

Kallus rushed into the room suddenly, drawing the attention to himself. He looked at the Inquisitor and said, "Darth Vader's ETA is about fifteen minutes."

Ezra watched at Kanan shut his eyes and Sabine's face went slightly pale. The boy felt confusion and worry bubble in his gut. He hadn't ever heard of someone named Darth Vader, but for some reason the name made him frightened. Maybe it was just the expressions of his friends, but it was still terrifying.

The Inquisitor looked smug. Kanan's eyes opened to show concern. Sabine looked like she had just been slapped. And Kallus looked unfalteringly stoic.

"Who is that?" Ezra asked, looking at Kanan.

Kanan replied quietly, "Essentially…The Emperor's right hand guy."

Ezra's heart dropped. Ok…That was scary. Scary because the Emperor probably didn't hire just anyone to stand beside him. Ezra swallowed thickly and looked down at the floor, trying to let the graveness sink in. Maybe Hera and Zeb could still find a way to rescue them…But if Kanan's face meant anything, it meant that things were about to be very, very bad.

Bad and messy.

"Well," The Inquisitor hummed. "I suppose that answers your questions, hm little one?"

Ezra couldn't muster the energy to glare. Dread was taking that place in the pit of his belly and he leaned against the wall behind him, thinking hard. He felt trapped and slowly but surely the hope from before was turning into thoughts of 'what if'. What if they got transported from the compound? What if they were brought to the Emperor? There was no telling what kind of security that would entail.

"I think you two have gotten him worried," Kallus hummed, aiming the statement at Sabine and Kanan. "Aren't the elders supposed to put on a brave face?"

Kanan snapped, "Oh shut up."

Kallus didn't reply, but simply turned on his heels and exited the room. The Inquisitor stayed, much to Ezra's dismay and tilted his head at the three rebels. He questioned, "I don't believe I ever got to ask, boy. But how is it that you haven't…Changed?"

Ezra shook his head, "Even if I knew that, I wouldn't tell you."

The Inquisitor nodded slowly, "I suppose we'll find out soon enough. When they decide to slice you into tiny bits and test what remains-"

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Kanan interrupted. "Quit spewing bullshit."

The other man just shrugged, "I'm only giving off theories of what they may do with the boy. It's a fascinating situation, do you not think? That someone so young and seemingly so…unimportant would be the one to carry the cure to the virus that destroyed the planet. Almost…Biblical, don't you think?"

Kanan was silent and the Inquisitor continued, "And we all know how it ended up for that seemingly insignificant savior, do we not?"

Ezra looked at the floor and everyone was quiet. He rubbed his pained wrist that was now constricting against his splint. He was afraid, but he didn't want them to know that. Because he was willing to die for a cure. But not a cure for the Empire. He didn't want to die for that cure. He wanted to die for the Rebellion's cure. For the people's cure.

He didn't really want to die in general…But if it meant for the better of the world, then he would.

Ezra stared blankly ahead as he let everything sink in. He wished everyone would go away because he was border lining a mental breakdown. But with all the eyes in the room he was forced to block it out. To allow a numbness to take hold and drown him.

No…No this wasn't fair.

Ezra looked up into the Inquisitor's eyes and he growled, "But we all know who really wins at the end of that story, right?"

The Inquisitor said nothing and Ezra shook his head, "You're so…you Empire Supporters are all so damn _confident_ and it pisses me off. You're too confident…Too proud. And it's going to get all of you killed. That's why you'll lose against the rebellion. You're too busy admiring your work from the outside to realize that we're ripping it up from the inside."

Ezra jumped when the sound of a helicopter whirled overhead and he felt a shiver run down his back. The Inquisitor allowed a grin to spread over his face and he questioned, "That doesn't sound like being too proud, child. That sounds like power."

Kallus reentered the room and he nodded his head in the Inquisitor's direction, "He's here. They just landed in the abandoned car lot next door."

A few troopers came in as well, their guns at the ready. Before Ezra had time to process what was going on, he was being yanked to his feet and they were all being led out the door like cattle.

They were led from the bank parking lot through an alleyway and over to what Ezra theorized was the next-door car lot that Kallus had mentioned. After walking under a fence separating several buildings, his theory was correct as he saw a large open space with run down vehicles and a large empty space in the middle where a helicopter was. It wasn't currently spinning, but rather the pilot was standing outside of it, pulling open the sliding door.

They were placed in a line a few feet from the helicopter as the troopers stood behind them, guns pressed into their backs as a man stepped off…

The first thing Ezra noticed about him was that he was painfully tall. So much taller than everyone else around him. He bore a scar over one of his eye and his hair was sandy blond and curly. He looked to be in his late thirties to early forties, small wrinkles around his eyes. Tired eyes that were staring at them hard, showing hardly any emotion as he approached.

The troopers, Kallus, and the Inquisitor all gave salutes before dropping them. Ezra was under the impression that this must be the Darth Vader everyone was talking about earlier, because Kanan and Sabine had gone awfully pale.

Darth Vader stopped in front of them, studying them all hard. But his eyes stopped on Kanan in particular and the Inquisitor whispered something to Vader in a tone so low they couldn't hear him. Vader nodded his head and hummed, "Caleb Dume…I remember your mother."

Kanan said nothing as Vader went on, "She was a former CIA agent…Before the virus of course. She was a very good asset to the Empire, until she decided she didn't believe in our purpose anymore."

Kanan snarled, "You'll have to excuse her for being against the mass murder of millions of innocent people."

"Why would I excuse her?" Vader said in a monotone voice. "The dead do not need excusing."

Kanan looked ready to pounce but much to Ezra's relief, he didn't move. Vader's attention then turned to Ezra who almost cringed beneath his cold eyes. Vader stepped forward, his boots hitting the concrete heavily. Ezra backed up instinctively until he felt the barrel of a gun push the small of his back, making him step forward.

Vader said, "I'd like to see your wound, child."

Ezra trembled, but did as he was told. He held out the splinted arm, being sure that the scar wasn't covered. It was like it snapped something in Vader, causing him to step even closer and take the arm, surprisingly gentle. Vader didn't look frightened at all, and actually touched the wound, shocking Ezra.

Vader then released him and stepped back.

His eyes moved to both Kanan and Sabine and he ordered in a low tone…

"Execute the two rebels and put the boy in the helicopter. We're going back to the Capitol."

"What!?" Ezra shouted as someone grabbed his arm harshly. "No! You can't!"

Vader looked at him, "And why not?"

Ezra fought hard against the hold on him and he went as far as trying to sit on the ground like a three-year-old throwing a tantrum. They dragged him to his feet and he kicked out, making contact with a man's stomach. Kanan was yelling at him to stop, but Ezra reached for the trooper's belt and yanked out his hip pistol.

The troopers all lunged for him but he was quick to throw himself back and put distance before pressing the gun to his temple.

"Stop," Vader ordered harshly, causing everyone to freeze. His voice wasn't panicked. It wasn't a shout. It was just raised and harsh. Kanan and Sabine watched on with shocked expressions as Ezra pressed the barrel harder to his temple.

Ezra felt his eyes burn and he said, "If you kill them, you have to kill me too."

"You're being ridiculous," Vader was speaking evenly. "We'll kill them even if you shoot yourself."

Ezra was trembling, "If I die then the cure dies with me."

"And what makes you so sure?" Vader questioned. "We could just as easily run tests on a dead body."

Ezra raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to test that?"

"Ezra stop," Kanan growled. "It's ok. We're going to be fine. Put down the gun."

Ezra clenched his teeth and shifted, "Why're you always trying to save me? Stop. Stop trying to protect me. I don't want to live if all of you die. I don't want to be alone again."

"You're not going to be alone again," Kanan whispered. "Put down the gun…You're never going to be alone again. No matter what happens to us, you're not going to be alone."

"He's right Ezra," Sabine agreed. "You still have people who love you."

Ezra shook his head as a tear managed to slip through. He was bordering on pulling it…Just ending it right there. Because he wasn't going to watch them die. He wasn't going to watched them be fired on. But before he got the chance, there was the sound of wind moving through the air and suddenly the helicopter to their left turned into a ball of flames and everyone was thrown onto the ground in a simultaneous movement.

Ezra felt his head smack into the concrete of the car lot and the world was sliding back and forth as smoke filled the area and the sounds of helicopters whirled around his head. But he couldn't understand how that was possible if he had just seen the one beside them turn into fire…

His hand slid across the ground as he tried to stand, but he couldn't push himself up. His body had gone completely weak and he felt like the hair on his right arm had been singed off. Ezra coughed, looking around and hearing screaming as people ran back and forth.

And suddenly he was ripped from the ground and into someone's arms that began to drag him.

What sounded like firecrackers were going off around him and he was moved to a place where it was easier to breathe. His eyes peered above him and he was delighted to see a blur that was Kanan's face.

"K-Kanan?" Ezra rasped out. He saw Kanan slip off his jacket and he was suddenly pressing it to Ezra's forehead, causing the teen to cry out as a sharp pain shot through him. It was so loud though…He knew what he was hearing now had to be gunfire.

"Sabine, flag them down here!" Kanan shouted in front of him and Ezra was so confused.

He attempted to sit up, but Kanan pushed him back down. The man leaned down and spoke into his ear so he could be heard over the explosions, "We're leaving. We're leaving, ok? Stay still for a little bit."

Ezra wanted to argue that he didn't feel good and he wanted to sit up to vomit, but he couldn't speak. He grabbed Kanan's wrist, just to be sure he wasn't going to leave him. When Kanan pulled the jacket back, possibly to check the head wound, Ezra saw the piece of clothing was now bloody. Kanan pressed it back down and the wind was picking up, signaling that a helicopter was getting very, very close to where they were pressed to the side of a run-down car for protection.

"Ok, we're going!" Kanan shouted and Ezra nodded as he was lifted from the ground and Kanan was suddenly sprinting towards where the wind was coming from. Ezra didn't have to be completely aware to know that bullets were shooting past them. He craned his neck enough to see Sabine running in front of them, jumping into a helicopter that was hovering inches from the ground.

Then Kanan was reaching Ezra up into someone's arms and Kanan was jumping in behind them.

The helicopter door slid shut, pinging bullets slamming into it and an unfamiliar male's voice shouted, "Go! Go!"

Ezra felt them lift and he was being yanked from the unfamiliar arms into Kanan's. The jacket was back on his forehead and without the sounds of the gunfire, he was able to focus a bit better on what was going on around him.

Sabine was over against the far side of the helicopter…There were two people flying and there was a man in front of them, his eyes staring hard at Kanan. Ezra looked up at his guardian to see that Kanan shared the same expression.

"They sent you of all people," Kanan growled.

The other man shrugged, "You'd think you'd be thankful for any kind of help."

"She should've sent help sooner," Kanan snapped. "He was about to blow his head off."

Ezra managed to croak, "I wasn't really."

That was a lie, but he didn't want Kanan to know he was actually about to kill himself right then and there. They would surely think he was out of his mind and try to lock him up or something and Ezra wasn't willing to risk that happening. And he didn't want Kanan to dwell on it…He didn't want him to worry about it. Right now though, Ezra was worried about who these people were. He had deduced they were probably from the Alliance…But Kanan didn't seem to appreciate that this guy was here.

Kanan said nothing in response to the lie and simply shifted Ezra to lying down on the floor. The unfamiliar man moved forward, grabbing a red box off the wall. Kanan hissed, "I've got it, Rex."

Rex…Ezra had never heard of a Rex but the man simply sighed and said, "There's gauze in the box. Clean up his head and put them on for the bleeding. We'll get him checked out when we get back to the Alliance."

Kanan snatched the box less than gracefully and Sabine asked, "Where are Hera and Zeb?"

"They're driving the RV to Alliance, we managed to knock down the blockade long enough to get them through and we sent some soldiers with them," The man named Rex responded.

Ezra lifted his head a bit and asked, "And Chopper?"

"The dog?" Rex smiled a little at Ezra. "He's fine."

Kanan pulled the jacket off the wound and opened the box, pulling out a disinfecting wipe. Ezra felt the burn of it when he swiped it over the wound, but it quickly subsided when he put the cream on and pressed a sticky gauze over it.

"He'll probably need stiches," Rex informed.

"I know that," Kanan huffed under his breath and Ezra wondered why Kanan was being so snappy to the person who had just saved them from the Empire.

Sabine spoke for him by ordering, "Stop it, Kanan."

Kanan looked in her direction with a glare but said nothing. Instead he finished putting objects back into the red box and then sat beside Ezra. Ezra began to pull himself up onto his elbows and Kanan reached out to stop him, whispering, "Don't push yourself."

"I'm ok," Ezra insisted, continuing to sit up. He was fully upright when Kanan removed his hand from his arm. His vision whirled only a moment before stabilizing and he was finally able to assess the man in front of him.

He wasn't anything intimidating. He was muscular, but he looked kind of old. His beard was white and his head was bald. He was wearing armor that belonged to the Alliance, apparent by the insignia stamped on the shoulder. He smiled a little at Ezra and Ezra smiled back.

How could this guy make Kanan angry?

"So, you're the famous little boy?" Rex questioned. "You look a lot more grown up than I was expecting."

Ezra chuckled because he knew the guy was just joking. Because it was no secret Ezra was small for his age, but he appreciated the attempt to make him feel better about that. Ezra nodded his head, "You don't look like how Fulcrum sounded over the radio."

A deep-bellied laugh escaped him and Rex nodded, "You're right, I know. Fulcrum is waiting for us back at the Alliance."

"She couldn't come herself?" Kanan sounded bitter and Ezra wanted to sigh. "Had too many papers to grade?"

Rex's face went sober, "You know we can't risk our leader. Not when we've got a stable society being organized."

"Stable society my ass," Kanan said. "There's no such thing."

Ezra looked at the man with pleading eyes. Begging him to stop his tirade. Even though he wasn't sure why Kanan appeared to be upset about Rex, he didn't want it to show in this moment. Because they were safe now. They were going to the Alliance which was only a few miles away. They were finally on their way to being safe.

And that was all Ezra wanted. He wanted everyone to be safe.

Everyone was quiet for a long time. So long Ezra thought the only sound left in the world was the whirling of the helicopter. He stared out the window, watching the horizon in the distance, pretending to be in Lothal with his mother and father, sitting in the living room. A place where things were normal and everyone was happy. They didn't have much…But there was their family. And that was enough. It was always enough.

Until it hadn't been.

Hours passed. Only a few, when he saw the large wall in the distance. There were buildings behind it and they were flying straight towards it. Ezra's eyes widened and he pushed himself up to his knees, staring in amazement at the size of what appeared to be an entire city.

His concentration and glee was broken when Rex said, "It's quite large. Not many citizens yet, but we're getting there."

Ezra looked at Kanan and smiled. Kanan smiled back, though Ezra could see it was quite forced. Kanan wasn't impressed, but he had been here before. And possibly he was worried…He didn't seem to like Fulcrum all that much.

Sometimes Ezra wondered why Kanan fought for the Alliance when he seemed to distrust them to such a degree.

They flew in over the wall, Rex speaking into a walkie talkie, "We're about a minute from the landing pad."

The lower they came to the ground, the more Ezra's stomach did flips. He could see the top of what appeared to be a three-story building, with a large "H" on top, which was the helipad. A few small dots were people below, but they came more into focus the closer they got.

The helicopter jolted when they landed and Ezra was suddenly stricken with dread…

What if he wasn't what they were looking for?

What if they ran tests and he was useless?

What if all this was for nothing? Janus dying, risking lives, all the danger…

Ezra gripped his hands into fists and reminded himself to be brave. He had to be brave. For the infected…For those who were going to _get_ infected in the future. For the sake of the people he cared about, he had to be brave and allow them to do what they had to do.

Because whether he lived or died didn't matter.

He was just one life compared to the world's.

The door slid open and the helicopter whirled to silence. They began to file out, Kanan assisting him in the long drop to the ground as the dizziness returned when they entered the sunlight. When he looked up, there was a woman in the distance, along with several other soldiers. Ezra worried because he didn't see Hera or Zeb, but he guessed it would take longer for them since they were driving.

They approached the group, and Ezra noticed when Kanan put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Sabine was smiling brightly, along with Rex, but Kanan looked so cold…So serious. Ezra began to tremble with worry. He was feeding off the man's emotions and right now they were nothing but anxiety.

Once they were in earshot, the woman spoke, "I'm so happy you all made it safely."

Ezra didn't have to be told…

This…This was Fulcrum.

He recognized the voice from the radio instantly and a shiver ran up his spine. He had to fight down a smile because even though he knew Kanan was uneasy, this was exciting for him. He was meeting the woman he had only heard stories about and heard over a radio.

Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and her skin shone in the said, "Hello Sabine and Kanan…"

Fulcrum looked at Ezra next and Ezra felt his ears burn as she continued, "And hello Ezra. I'm so happy to finally be meeting you."

She stepped forward and held out her hand for him to shake. He took it slowly, feeling the way Kanan's hand tightened on his shoulder instinctively. Ezra greeted in response, "I'm happy to meet you too, Fulcrum."

"Please, call me Ahsoka when we're in person," She chuckled. "Fulcrum is simply a code-name."

Her eyes shifted to Kanan. It was like a mother looking at her son who was constantly stepping out of line, but he had finally cleaned his room after three months of being asked. Ahsoka whispered, "Thank you, Kanan, for bringing him so far."

Kanan nodded stiffly, "Well, my crew was just as involved…Have you heard from Hera and Zeb?"

Ezra was surprised Kanan's voice wasn't angry or intimidating. In fact, it sounded exhausted. Like the weight of the past several weeks had just slammed into him like a ton of bricks. Ezra felt the same way, though he didn't know if it was that or the fact that he had busted his head open and his wrist was still broken.

Ahsoka nodded in response, "I spoke with them about fifteen minutes ago. They're still a few hours out, but they have an escort so they'll be fine."

She then looked down at Ezra and asked, "How about we find you a room and you can get cleaned up. Then we'll have a doctor see to your wounds…it appears you've been hurt."

Ezra didn't argue. He wasn't going to lie, getting cleaned up sounded like a wonderful idea. Maybe sleeping…He was so tired and his eyes were suddenly very heavy now that the adrenaline from earlier had worn off.

He was ready to sleep.

They began to walk towards the door of the roof. Both Ezra and Kanan followed close behind the group as Sabine began to chat to Rex and Ahsoka. Ezra turned to Kanan and he questioned quietly, "Are you…ok?"

He had been acting so frustrated since they had gotten to the helicopter…Since he had seen Rex. Ezra worried maybe it had to do with him threatening to kill himself…And if so he wanted to clear things up. That he wasn't really going to kill himself.

Even if that was lie.

Kanan looked at him and nodded, "I'm ok kiddo. Just glad we're safe."

"Then why were you so angry back there on the helicopter?"

Kanan opened and closed his mouth a few times before responding, "It's not important, I'll tell you later. Right now I just want to get your head and wrist looked at and let you get some rest."

Ezra swallowed thickly but nodded.

He definitely wasn't going to let the subject die.


End file.
